The King Maker
by knicnort3
Summary: With a cruel tyrant on the throne of Volterra, a group known only as 'Cullen' secretly plots to overthrow the king. When all attempts fail, Bella takes it upon herself to go on an undercover mission in the hopes of getting close enough to take out the oppressor herself. Forced to choose between a new love and her duty, Bella must fight the battle of her life. *B/E, AH, AU
1. Volunteering

_**The King Maker**_

*Description: With a cruel tyrant on the throne of Volterra, a group known only as 'Cullen' secretly plots to overthrow the king. When all attempts fail, Bella takes it upon herself to go on an undercover mission in the hopes of getting close enough to take out the oppressor herself, but she never expected the job to be this difficult. Set in the days of old, this sweeping romance walks the line between love and duty, and of course comes complete with an HEA.

*I originally started a story similar to this called "Between Love and Honor", but I stopped posting due to a lack of interest from readers. The more time that past however, the more I wished I would have completed it regardless of the support; unfortunately my computer crashed and I didn't save any of it, therefore I'm writing a new version. The key plot points that I remember will be included. If you've read the original and remember certain aspects you hope to read again, please PM me a reminder :). Thanks so much!

*This is not fantasy, and there are no vampires or magic of any kind, but it is an AU (alternate universe) meaning all places and timelines are _fictional_ (i.e. Volterra is not an Italian city, just the name of the kingdom I made up).

*AH, AU, OOC, B/E,  
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*Disclaimer- I do not own any recognizable names or places, but the plot is mine so do not copy w/o permission. Thanks!

* * *

Chapter I – _Volunteering_

I could feel the tension when I entered the room, and I knew immediately that something went terribly wrong. "What is it?" I asked, hoping my father would see the adult I had become and answer me as such.

Father's face softened. "Everything is fine; nothing to concern yourself with."

My father, Charles Swan, along with my late mother and her brother Carlisle, were the founding members of Cullen - an underground activist group aimed to overthrow the Volturi monarchy - and he was extremely protective. Since the day my mother died when I was an infant, he and my older brother Emmett seemed to shadow my every move, but it was time for me to finally come into my own and step into the light.

"Papa, I'm not a child anymore. I know Emmett went on a mission in Volterra, and I know something happened to him. Please, just be honest with me."

Charles stared at me for a moment, and then sighed. "You're right; you deserve to know the truth. Your brother was leading a small group of men to quietly infiltrate one of King Aro's army bases, but they were caught."

I gasped. "No."

Charles put his hand up to calm me. "One of our men was able to escape, and he told us that they took Emmett away."

"But why would they do that?" I questioned, grateful Emmett wasn't immediately executed, but baffled as to why he'd be kept alive.

Father took another deep breath. "Before they were caught, one of our men found a list….a blood list, so to speak…and Carlisle and I were at the top."

"Okay, so what's that supposed to mean?" I asked, becoming increasingly more anxious.

"It means..." Charles hesitated, searching for the right words to offer.

"It means," Carlisle stepped forward to answer for him, "somehow they found out we're the leaders of Cullen, and it's entirely possible that they imprisoned your brother to keep him as bait to trap us."

"Okay, so what are we going to do about it?" I asked determined.

"_We_," Charles gestured to everyone in the room except me, "are going to find a way to rescue him without getting us all killed, and _you_," he pointed to me, "are going to go back to your grandmother's in the country."

I huffed. "I can help. I know I can…just give me a chance."

"Absolutely not!" Charles spat. "Your mother was killed because of this stuff, and I will not let you share her fate!"

"Charles," Carlisle said hesitantly. "Maybe…"

"Don't even say it!" Charles warned him.

"She has mostly grown up in the country with my mother…she's carried my mother's maiden name…if anyone can get in anonymously, it's her."

"Out of the question!" Charles snapped. "How could you even suggest something like this after your sister died in such a way?"

"Renee knew the risks…it was worth it to her," Carlisle argued. "She lost her life, but think of how many lives she saved while on that mission."

"I'm not willing to let my daughter lose her life for anyone," Father insisted.

"But what if she doesn't have to? What if she can accomplish what Renee set out to do all those years ago? What if she's the one who will finally bring down Aro and his monarchy?" Carlisle said in a rush. "I don't like it either, but who else can we really trust? They got our names somewhere. That means we have a traitor in our midst."

"A traitor that can tell them of Bella's involvement," Charles pointed out.

Carlisle shook his head. "You know we can trust everyone in this room, but everyone in this room is also on the blood list. We need someone we can trust that nobody else is aware of…Can you think of anyone who meets that description other than Bella?"

Charles shook his head. "It's not going to happen. We'll figure something else out. Somehow, someway, we'll figure it out."

"Papa, Emmett is going to die if we don't act soon!" I shouted at him. "Whatever that can be done, should be done, and I know I can do it."

"My answer is _no_," Charles said, unwavering.

So I squared my shoulders and did something I had never done before - I went against my father's word. "I _will_ do this, with or without your blessing," I told him, before turning to my uncle. "Where do we start?"

Carlisle stared at Charles for a moment, waiting for some kind of approval, but when my father huffed and turned away, Carlisle let out a slow hard breath. "Okay then. First thing we need to do is get you some work papers. I know someone who may be able to get you a position as one of the palace's maidservants. You'll have to start at the bottom in the guest quarters and sitting rooms, but if you're good enough you could be promoted to the kitchen staff or even Royal Chambermaid."

"Now, hold on!" Charles interjected. "I thought you wanted her there to attempt to gain information about where they're holding Emmett. Now you want her in the king's room? What for?"

"She has the opportunity to do something nobody else has thus far….she can get close enough to actually kill the king, which will ultimately save Emmett, along with countless others."

"Wait, you want me to…" I swallowed roughly, "kill the king?" – Infiltrate? Sure. Report on all the happenings and whereabouts? No problem. But could I actually murder someone? King Aro was ruthless and had no regard for human life; killing him would save so many, but was I strong enough to actually be the one to end his life? I wasn't so sure.

"And what of Prince Caius?" Charles pointed out. "Let's say Bella somehow kills Aro, his son and heir is probably just as bad if not worse. All we will accomplish is bringing in a new tyrant."

"Caius is pigheaded. You know he's always leading an army to harass some innocent village somewhere. We can get to Caius; it's Aro that's always under the protection of the palace. That place is like a fortress. This is our only chance to get inside," Carlisle explained.

"And you really think Bella is physically strong enough to overpower the king?" Father asked incredulously. "A man twice her size and three times her weight? It's not possible. He will snap her neck before she even has a chance to pierce his skin with a blade."

I shuddered at the thought.

"She's not going to stab him…she's going to poison him," Carlisle said slowly. "If she makes it into the kitchen, then she'll have access to his food. Even better, if she becomes one of his chambermaids, she can personally deliver that food and make sure the poison goes to him and only him. It's a solid plan Charles, even you can see that."

"This is my daughter we're talking about- _your niece_….We can't do this."

"We have to…for Emmett, for Renee, for the good of everyone. Bella is stronger than you give her credit for. She _can_ do this. She's the only one who stands a chance."

My father turned to me and I could see the desperation in his eyes, begging me to listen and stay, but we both knew I was as stubborn as my mother, and possibly just as stupid. "I'll be fine, Papa."

"God, I hope you're right, because you're all I have left," he said, before breaking down into tears.

"Oh papa," I said, while embracing him tightly. He absolutely hated the plan, and I knew it would probably end up causing him to despise my uncle for the rest of his days, but deep down he must have realized it was a real chance, one we couldn't pass up.

Three weeks later I had my work papers, and found myself being escorted into the palace gates of Volterra. It was absolutely terrifying.

"This is your uniform," the palace headmistress told me coldly. "You are responsible for cleaning all of the first floor in the north wing."

"So I'm just supposed to clean the floor?" I asked, semi-joking.

She glared at me. "You clean the floor and everything on it. If I even see a smudge on the walls, you will be reprimanded. Do you understand?"

"So the floors, walls, rugs, windows, and tables?" I clarified.

"And the four washrooms," she said sternly.

"Wow, that's….a lot," I said, honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed. I had trouble keeping my grandmother's cottage clean, and it was tiny in comparison.

"Are you saying it's too much for you?" Headmistress asked.

"Of course not. Sorry Ma'am," I said with lowered eyes and a bowed head.

She crossed her arms to convey her irritation. "You work every second day, for twelve hours at a time. If your chores are complete before the twelve hours are up, you will do them all again. Just because something appears clean, doesn't mean it is. The king wants everything spotless. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," I said politely.

Headmistress showed me where the north wing was, and I had to admit, the palace was breathtaking. Every inch of it was so intricately detailed down to the wood carvings that trimmed the stone walls. It was incredible, and absolutely heartbreaking; if the king only took half as much care of his people as he did his palace, Volterra would be a much better place.

When I was finished being shown my work area, I was led to the servant quarters at the far end of the palace grounds. My room was small, but it included use of the common kitchen area and detached washroom. The servants were basically given the scraps from the palace as food, and it was all divided in a first come, first serve basis. If I wasn't quick enough to the food distribution times, I wouldn't get anything to eat for that meal, which was actually fine by me; I often went without food growing up, everyone did in that kingdom.

I got as settled in as possible in my new home, and then I spent the rest of the evening reading a book by candlelight. The next morning my first shift started bright and early, so I got cleaned up and dressed, and hurried my way to the palace north wing. Two hours into it I was already exhausted, but I refused to take a break or even slow. It was gruelingly hard mundane work, and I loathed every second of it. By the end of the day every muscle in my body ached, and I had sores that looked more like bee stings covering my hands and feet….but I was actually really proud of myself that I got through it, and I was thankful I had the next day off to recuperate.

The rest of the week pretty much went the same way. My work days were horrendous, and it would take my entire day off in between to try to recover enough to do it all again the next day. Then something happened by the third week; I could actually feel myself grow stronger as I adapted to my new life. My back didn't hurt as much, and my hands and feet calloused over nicely so that they too weren't as sore. I still hated it, but it became bearable, and during my off time I was finally able to leave the confines of my room and try to explore the grounds.

"So…where are we permitted to go?" I asked Liam, a palace groundskeeper whom I had gotten to know a little over the past couple of weeks.

"We're not allowed out of the gates; the guard doesn't want to risk anything getting smuggled in, but you can walk the back garden, or the stables. A helpful hint is to never jump any fences or walls," he said with a wink.

"I understand," I replied. "Thank you."

So I just started walking aimlessly, and soon found my way to the stables. I always loved horses; there was a time when my only companionship was my grandmother's old mare, so I was more than pleased to find something to make me feel a little bit more at home. The stables were immaculately kept - though I wasn't sure why I expected anything less - and the size of the riding arena was grander than anything I had ever seen before.

Suddenly I heard a loud neigh, so I reflexively turned to look at its source. The huge black stallion had to be the most stunning thing I had ever seen, and I could have sworn it was trying to communicate with me as it stared me down for an incredibly long moment. Reflexively I stretched my hand out to stroke the beast, but I was abruptly pulled back by my wrist.

"I wouldn't," the man said as he forced me to take a step back. "That there is the king's horse. He's just as evil as his master," he explained with a mix between seriousness and amusement.

I was about to argue with him that no animal could be as cruel as that tyrant, but when I made eye contact with the man, I suddenly lost all train of thought. I had never seen such coloring before, and had no idea such was even possible in humans. Most people in that realm were fair skinned, but had dark hair and eyes; a few had golden hair with eyes the color of the sky, but this man's eyes glowed green and his hair looked like fire in the sunlight. It was utterly mesmerizing….Of course, he was also covered in dirt and smelled of manure.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get you messy," he said, gesturing to the muddy hand print on my wrist were he had grabbed me.

"Huh?" I asked, still slightly caught in the wonderment that was his coloring. "Um, no, it's fine," I finally said, realizing what he must have been talking about.

"You're new here, aren't you?" he asked with a smirk that was every bit as charming as it was crooked.

"Uh…yes. I've been here about three weeks now."

"Well I'm sure it's a lot to take in. I've been here all of my life, but I do know of others that came from the outside and they have trouble adjusting in the beginning. Usually those are the ones who wind up in the stables trying to befriend the devil over there."

"You've been here _all_ of your life?" I questioned curiously.

"Uh yeah," he said awkwardly. "Most have."

"They have?"

"I'm a third generation here," he said unexpectedly. "My mother was a chambermaid, and her father worked here with the horses….and that is a lot of personal information for someone I don't know."

I giggled, and then bowed slightly. "I'm Bella - new palace maidservant to the first floor of the north wing."

"Bella?" he questioned. "I've never heard such a name."

"Oh, it's Isabella actually. My family always just called me Bella."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Bella. My name is Edward, and if you ever have any horse related questions, you know where to find me," he said with a smile.

I smiled back. "And if you ever have any north wing first floor questions….you can ask the headmistress because you probably know more about it than I do."

He chuckled. "I'm sure you'll get there eventually. Anyone willing to take on the devil is fully capable of cleaning floors."

"Oh, he doesn't look so bad," I said while glancing back at the huge black horse.

"Tell that to the four people he's trampled in the past three months alone."

"Well he's big, maybe it was an accident," I suggested.

"Nope, he ran them down and stomped them until we were able to pull him off. Oh, and he's bitten people's fingers off. Tried to bite my arm off."

"Really?" I asked doubtfully.

"No lie," he said while pulling up his sleeve to show me a massive scar there.

"Wow….well, maybe you just weren't handling him right," I said before fearlessly approaching the animal and patting his head without hesitation. "You're just a big softy, huh?" I cooed at the so called devil.

Edward's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Well, it was nice meeting you; maybe I'll be back in a few days to hang with this demon here. I can even show you some tips on how to gain his trust," I said with a grin before continuing with my walk of the grounds.

I had met so many people since arriving at the palace, but none captured my attention as much as Edward. I just couldn't get him out of my mind, and I couldn't wait for my next day off when I could visit him again…


	2. Questions

Chapter II – _Questions_

With another long exhausting day of work behind me, I decided to walk back to the stables to visit Edward and the devil horse…

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon," Edward said with a smile as I approached the horse stalls.

I had to take a moment to drink in the beauty of his dirt covered mesmerizing colors, before finally answering him. "It's my day off, so I figured I'd come see how the devil was doing."

"But you were just here the day before last?" he questioned oddly.

"Would you rather me come back on my next off day?" I joked.

"No, but I do find it peculiar that you have another day off so soon."

"Oh, well I only work every second day," I explained.

"Huh…_Really?_" he asked in disbelief.

"Is that weird?" I replied, confused.

He shrugged. "To be honest, I never heard such a thing around here. Most people work six days, and if they're lucky they'll get the seventh to rest."

"Most people work six days?" I repeated in shock.

"My grandfather used to work these stables every day, and would only have off when the moon was full. He'd work every single day if he wasn't so damn superstitious," Edward said with a light chuckle.

"How could people work so much?" I asked, sincerely baffled. "I thought _my_ schedule was tough."

His face fell serious. "This isn't a normal job, Bella. Palace servants aren't employed; they're basically slaves, owned by the king and his court. They work people to the grave here. Nobody usually gets the luxury of being tired or achy…. Some go all day without getting a break to eat or relieve themselves, and when they finally do collapse, their entire family pays for it by not getting food that night."

"That's terrible," I said, feeling horrified by my selfishness and lack of understanding on the matter. I knew King Aro was a terrible man, but I honestly thought he gave his palace staff more consideration. The realization of the truth only made me that much more determined to complete the mission I was sent there for.

"Why does anyone want to come here to work under these conditions?" I asked, knowing there was a long list of people waiting for positions.

Edward sighed. "It may be harsh, but at least there is food and housing here, and the servant's families are relatively safe. The world isn't so kind to many people outside the palace gates right now."

"Yeah, because of King Aro," I said spitefully.

"He is a problem," Edward agreed while looking around us warily, as if he was worried someone would overhear, "but he's not the_ only _problem. With the low amount of snow and rainfall these past few winters, food would be scarce even under a better king."

"Well Aro certainly isn't going hungry," I argued. "And I've never seen anyone fatter than that one nobleman who's here."

"It's important that a king is fed, otherwise he can't even attempt to run the kingdom."

"Wow, you almost sound like an Aro supporter," I said incredulously.

He smirked. "I'm definitely not a supporter, but I've seen enough around here to understand what goes into being a king – good or bad."

"Maybe you should educate Aro and Caius."

"Like they'd ever listen to a nobody like me," he said disdainfully, but then a smile broke back through his lips. "Besides, if I spent my time reeducating royalty, who would take care of the devil over there?"

I laughed once. "I think if you were reeducating Aro and Caius, you _would_ be taking care of the devil," I said jokingly but was completely serious.

"Touché."

"What's that?" I asked confused.

"What?"

"To-something…Whatever you just said."

"Oh, touché. It's a French word used in fencing to acknowledge a hit…but my nanny always used it as a way to acknowledge when someone has a good point about something. I just meant you were right about Aro and Caius being devilish."

"Nanny?" I asked, surprised. Few people were able to keep nannies anymore, and I wouldn't think a palace servant could ever afford such a luxury.

He nodded. "My mother died when I was young, so I had to have one... Actually, all children here are basically raised by nannies and nurses. With their mother's working so many hours at the palace, someone has to take care of them."

"I'm surprised Aro would even care enough about servant's children to actually provide nannies."

"Hey, those kids grow up to be his most trusted servants, so it's in his best interest to have them somewhat taken care of…. Which brings me back to my first question - How did you get a job here, especially with that schedule?"

"Um…I was on the list for a while…and I have no idea how or why I got my schedule."

"You were on the list for a while?" he asked skeptically. "People usually spend half their lives on that list; you can't be older than what, twenty or so?"

"Eighteen," I admitted.

"Weird," he mumbled to himself.

"What?"

"You're so young to be working as a maidservant."

"I've met several girls younger than me here," I argued. "Bree is only sixteen."

Edward shook his head. "Bree Tanner was born here. Those born here start working by twelve, but you're new. Like I said, new people usually wait a long time to get a job here so they're mostly older, unless…" He let his sentence trail off.

"Unless what?" I pushed.

"Unless the king is unhappy with his concubines, and told the headmistress to bring in young attractive women for him to choose from," he said hesitantly.

I raised my brows. "You think I'm here to become one of the king's whores?" I asked, wondering if I should be offended or not.

"I've just never seen it before. Having a young woman get a spot here with a schedule like that? It's unheard of; I have to think there's something more going on," he said suspiciously. "Maybe I'll ask around, and see what I can find out."

My heart jumped. The last thing I needed was for him to bring attention to me and make people suspicious. Somehow Carlisle got me into that position with that schedule, and I certainly wasn't going to waste the opportunity due to unnecessary gossip…

"You don't need to ask anyone anything. I applied, and a couple weeks later a guard showed up to bring me here. That's it. Maybe Aro is showing mercy and trying to offer more places here, which would explain my schedule. I'm probably splitting a normal routine with someone else. "

"Okay, the words _'Aro'_ and _'mercy'_ don't belong in the same sentence," Edward said with a laugh.

"Well, I don't know how I got here with my schedule, and I don't care; could be an oversight for all I know. If you go around asking questions, someone might complain and I could lose my position."

He put his hands up in humorous defense. "Okay, okay, I guess is should just be grateful for whatever the reason you're here."

"Grateful, huh?" I said, having a hard time containing my smile. "Why would you be grateful?"

He shrugged. "I have to say, your arrival has been the most interesting thing I've experienced in quite some time…Well, except the case of tree beetles that killed off half the south grove earlier this year."

"Oh, it's nice to know I'm almost as interesting as beetles," I giggled.

"You're a very close second," he teased.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should."

I felt my face become consumed with heat, so I attempted to briskly change the subject. "What's this guy's name anyway?" I asked as I patted the so called devil horse.

"Uh…The king doesn't believe in naming animals, but around here we call him BD, which stands for _Black Death_."

I rolled my eyes. "He's just a regular horse that's probably been abused most of its life by Aro…just like everyone else in this kingdom."

Edward looked around guardedly again. "You sure are outspoken, aren't you? Most wouldn't dare speak so brazenly about the king."

"Well he certainly doesn't scare me," I lied.

"Yeah, but you should be a little more careful. He has ears everywhere, and speaking adversely of him is a punishable offense."

I looked around as well, but saw no one. "Are _you_ planning to turn me in?" I challenged him.

"If I was a good and loyal subject I would….lucky for you I'm not good or loyal," he said with a mischievous grin. "But you never know who is, so just be careful who you talk to that way."

"You haven't exactly been speaking positively about him either. How do you know I won't go tell someone?" I asked playfully.

"So you _are_ a concubine?" he joked. "Now that makes sense."

I rolled my eyes, then shook my head slightly with a grin. "Thankfully I have a good sense of humor, otherwise I may take offense to such defamation."

"And what would happen to me if you were offended?" he challenged me.

I bit my lower lip, hoping to suppress my smile – it didn't work. "I'd find a way to make you sorry."

"I actually believe that."

"Good."

We both laughed.

"Well Bella, those of us with a full schedule must get back to work," he said with a long sigh.

"I can help, if you'd like… I mean, I do feel a little guilty about not having to work as much as everyone else around here."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "What kind of woman would offer to help clean stables?"

"The kind that grew up on a farm with no men available to do the chores," I said honestly, thinking about my upbringing with my grandmother. Only Charles Swan could be overprotective to the point of suffocation without even being present. I never understood how he could run a rebellion _and _shadow me as much as he did, but he was definitely good at it.

"Where was your father?" Edward asked, making me grimace slightly. I should have known he'd question my last statement.

"Uh…he traveled a lot…selling our goods, and such. Someone had to take care of the farm while he was away, and that duty always fell upon me, so I definitely know my way around a horse stall."

"And you had no brothers or other male kin to help?" he asked.

"Nope," I lied, hoping he'd drop it.

"Well no wonder you're a spitfire," he said with a grin.

"Spitfire? You're sure full of insults, aren't you?" I asked, slightly perturbed.

"It's not an insult, trust me; it's actually a nice change around here. Most women are so…dull. They've been conditioned to never speak up, and I think that's too bad. Some of the most interesting people I've ever met have been women – _you included_."

"Oh….are you married, or betrothed?" I asked hesitantly.

He smiled and shook his head. "No, I was mostly referring to my nanny. When I was growing up she always made sure I listened and respected her, and she never backed down when she thought she was right about something. You actually remind me of her."

"Really? That's…_strange_." - He was definitely right about women being taught to keep their mouths shut; I was so incredibly lucky that my father raised me to have a strong will, though it had gotten me into trouble at times.

"Masen, get back to work!" a deep voice yelled suddenly, making me jump.

"Yes, sir!" Edward said mockingly, but then grinned at me and still didn't move.

"Now!" the voice yelled.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay," he said before slowly grabbing a rake and pretending to move it about.

"You're going to get in trouble if he comes in here and sees you doing it like that," I warned him.

"Nah, that's Garrett - he's more bark than bite."

"Oh...so he won't reprimand you?"

"He'd want people to think he was, but no, not really. He took over as Stable Master when my grandfather died, and he's trying to groom me to do the same, but…"

"But?" I prodded.

"But, I don't know… I just keep thinking how great it would be to run my own farm one day, you know? Like the one you grew up on. I guess I just really want to get out of these damn palace gates."

"Can you?" I asked curiously. "I mean, are you allowed to leave like that? King Aro isn't exactly known for being a proponent of choices."

"Aro probably wouldn't allow it, but who knows…maybe when Caius is king."

"I thought Caius is even worse than Aro?"

"He sure wants people to think he is, but…. I think he's all talk too. Maybe he'll be better."

"One can only hope," I agreed.

"Exactly! _Hope_ is all we have left."

"Masen, I told you to get going!" Garrett said as he stormed into view, but then he paused when he saw me. "I didn't realize you have a visitor," the tall, grey haired, man said in surprise.

"Garrett, this is Bella; she's a new maidservant. Bella, Garrett," Edward introduced us.

"A pleasure to meet you," I said with a courteous bow.

"Young _and _beautiful… Are you sure she's not a lost concubine?" he asked Edward.

Edward laughed while I scowled. "I'm not a concubine," I said bitterly.

"We think the king is just being generous by offering more places here," Edward jested. Then they were both laughing, and I couldn't help but let my scowl break despite myself.

"I don't know what to tell you both. I applied, and now I'm here. That's all I know," I told them.

"Yeah, but that's weird, right?" Edward asked Garrett.

"If she says that's all she knows, then that's all she knows. We should let it go," Garrett said unexpectedly. I figured he'd take just as much convincing as Edward did, but I was grateful that wasn't the case.

"Really? You're not curious as to why she'd be hired over all the other people who've been on the waiting list for decades?" Edward asked incredulously.

"Maybe Aro feels hiring younger, more able bodies are better," Garrett said, without an ounce of sarcasm. "It's not our place to question the king."

Edward rolled his eyes again. "I'm not questioning the king, I'm questioning the headmistress. The king doesn't concern himself with the hiring of his staff."

"You still need to learn your place, young one, and that's not questioning things that don't pertain to you," Garrett said, slightly irritated but amused at the same time. It was clear to me that the two men were quite fond of each other, and almost had a father-son type of bond, which was nice to see and made me miss my own father that much more.

"Why waste time educating me if you don't want me actually using my mind to think for myself, and question things that don't make sense to me?" Edward asked frustrated.

"Think for yourself, yes, but that doesn't always mean voicing all of those thoughts. You need to learn when it is important to act, and when it's right to stay quiet. This girl's position here at the palace is none of your concern, or anyone else's for that matter. It's for the headmistress to figure out."

Edward huffed. He obviously wasn't in agreement, but he seemed to let it go regardless. "Well, I suppose I should do some work today," he said, appeasing Garrett so he'd stop glaring at him. "I'll see you around," he told me before using the rake to actually rake the hay below his feet.

"I really can help," I said quietly, hoping Garrett wouldn't hear.

"I'm sure you can, but…"

"The stable is no place for a woman," Garrett interjected. "Now, go about your business so Edward can work undistracted."

"Yes, sir," I said politely before saying goodbye to both of them.

Not knowing what else to do, I started walking back towards the servant quarters, but then Edward caught up to me. "Hey, I have the day after next off. Will you be off then as well?"

"Yeah," I said, suddenly feeling butterflies in my gut, but not really knowing why.

"Let's go do something," he said excitedly.

"Okay, like what?" I asked with a wide grin.

"I want to take you somewhere."

"Where?"

"It's a secret….Do you trust me enough to be alone, _unchaperoned_?"

"Um…" I bit my lower lip as I considered it. Unchaperoned excursions with a man outside the family were definitely not something done lightly, and it was considered by most to be uncouth, but I was extremely intrigued by Edward's 'secret', and I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. "Sure. I'll meet you here then?"

"Perfect. See you then," he said with his most deliciously crooked grin, before turning and heading back to the stables.

I knew immediately it was a bad idea; being alone with a man I hardly knew was not only taboo, it was dangerous - Edward could have had less than honorable intentions and nobody would be around to help me, but as naïve as it sounded, I actually felt an odd connection to him that I couldn't really explain. I had no reason to trust him, but I did, and I couldn't wait to spend that time with him. The thought of it made my heart race…


	3. Melancholy

Chapter III – _Melancholy_

My next day of work was strangely more tedious than normal, and seemed to drag on forever, but when my twelve hours were complete, my excitement reached an all-time high - Just one night of sleep and then I'd get to spend the entire day with Edward, and I wasn't even the slightest bit nervous about being alone with him anymore. In fact, I was so anxious to get home and get rested for the big day, that I didn't even realize Headmistress was waiting for me as I approached the palace north wing exit.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, Mistress," I said with a bow after I ran right into her.

"Eager to get to bed, are we?" she asked coldly.

"Um…yes, ma'am," I replied respectfully.

"Good. I'm going to need you to work tomorrow as well," she said unexpectedly.

"Tomorrow? But it's my day off tomorrow," I said as my heart sank.

"Yes, I am aware of the schedule since I'm the one who created it. The girl who does the north wing when you're off is ill, that means the duty falls to you."

"Oh," I said, surprised they would even allow someone a sick day. I was overwhelmingly disappointed that I had to cancel my rendezvous with Edward, but at the same time I knew there was no arguing with the headmistress. I was there to try and gain access to the king, not to go to secret locations with the stable boy.

"Mistress?" I asked hesitantly. I wasn't about to argue with her, but I couldn't contain the bewilderment that had plagued me for the past two days.

"Do not backtalk me!" she said sternly. "You will work tomorrow, or you will be thrown out of your position!"

"No," I interrupted her as politely as possible. "Of course I will work, I just had a question."

"Ask your question then, girl, but that doesn't mean I'll give you an answer."

I swallowed roughly. "Okay…um, why….why do I only work every second day?"

My stomach dropped the moment the words were out of my mouth, but Headmistress didn't even bat an eye. "Because that is the way I scheduled it. Be grateful."

"Oh, I am, I was just wondering."

"It is not a servant's place to wonder," she replied coldly before turning and walking away.

I disappointedly went to the stables that evening, hoping to find Edward and tell him of my abrupt schedule change, but I only found Garrett.

"He's not here," Garrett said, without any other form of greeting.

"Oh, I was hoping to speak to him before he was off for the evening. Um… Can you tell me where his quarters are?" I asked carefully, and when he just stared at me disapprovingly, I realized how bad my request sounded. "It's just, I was supposed to meet him here tomorrow except I can't make it because I have to work after all…I don't want him thinking I changed my mind about going with him."

"And where were you supposed to be going?" Garrett asked suspiciously.

"Um…I don't know," I said honestly.

He shook his head. "That isn't good. A young woman shouldn't be alone with a man outside her family," he lectured me.

"We weren't going to be alone," I lied. "I think he was just going to show me around the grounds….the very _populated_ grounds."

Garrett sighed. "Bella, was it?" I nodded, so he continued. "Edward has the very real potential to be Stable Master one day, but if he becomes distracted and doesn't do all his duties efficiently, it'll be out of my hands. Do you understand?"

"Uh…not really," I said honestly. "He told me it was his day off. I wouldn't ask him to miss work for me, and I wouldn't let him either."

"Even so, if he spends his days off gallivanting about with you, he won't be resting and keeping up with his studies. Now, I know it is normal for him to be interested in finding a woman at his age, but his grandfather left him in my charge, and as of now, I want him focusing on his duties. When I feel he's ready to take a wife, I will make that decision."

"Um… I wasn't hoping to become his wife," I said uncomfortably. "He offered to give me a tour of the grounds, and I agreed; nothing more."

"You shouldn't come back around here again; I'd hate for anyone to get the wrong impression of you and start questioning your honor," he said, taking me off guard with his sudden intensity. It almost sounded like a threat of some kind, which only confounded me.

"Sir, if I have done anything to offend you?"

"It's not you…not specifically anyway; I understand your presence here, but there are some things I don't want Edward involved in….Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" he asked with an apparent covert meaning. Did he somehow know who I really was and why I was there?_ It sure seemed like it. _Either way, I thought it was best to nod politely and retreat back to my room.

But his words unnerved me to the point of paranoia, and I spent that night lying awake in my bed stressing about it – _Who else knew why I was really there_? - Then I unwillingly thought of Headmistress. My schedule was just too strange to be an innocent oversight or an act of kindness, and she refused to answer my question about it, so it was possible that she somehow knew why I was there as well. Perhaps she was trying to aid my mission by giving me extra time off. Could it be that I had more allies in the palace than I ever thought possible? But why wouldn't Carlisle mention something like that to me?

I had so many questions, and those questions proved to be a big problem when I realized that I had spent the entire night thinking of them instead of sleeping. Not only was I going to have to endure my first back to back work days, but I was going to have to do it on little to no sleep, and I was already exhausted…

"Isabella Dwyer! What is the matter with you, girl?" Headmistress scolded when she caught me dozing off against my mop stick.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, ma'am," I said as I woke up with a start and reflexively began mopping again.

"Is there a reason you can't stay awake on the job?" she asked sternly.

"No ma'am, I mean yes ma'am, I mean…I couldn't sleep last night. I apologize; it won't happen again."

"The biggest issue I have with you is that you don't even do a proficient job when you are rested," she said full of irritation. "I honestly don't know why I've allowed you to be here as long as you have. There is a long line of harder working, more deserving people just waiting for your position."

"Please ma'am, I can do better. Just give me one more chance and I won't disappoint you again," I practically begged.

"Well I hope so, because this is your one and only warning. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said grateful for her mercy, but even more suspicious of her incentive behind it. She didn't strike me as a forgiving - multiple chances - type of woman, so her being a secret ally made the most sense, though I'd never really question her on it; that was a risk I certainly couldn't take.

When my next day off finally came around, I had a strong desire to go visit Edward at the stables, but ultimately decided against it. Garrett's comment still weighed heavily on my mind, and I needed to remain focused on my mission anyway. So I spent my day roaming the grounds alone, being sure to steer clear of anywhere I thought Edward might be.

For the next couple of weeks I went about my work, but began spending more and more of my off time shut up in my tiny private room. I knew I should have been out, trying to find something that could possibly help with my mission, but I just couldn't find the proper self-motivation; in fact, I was in deep melancholy and wondering what I was even doing there in the first place. I couldn't seem to clean the palace floors efficiently, so how was I ever supposed to be promoted into a position close enough to kill the king?

I had lost track of time and honestly couldn't remember how long I had been living there, and I began to wonder if I'd ever actually be able to go home again. Was that to be my life from then on out? If I couldn't kill the king, would I spend the rest of my days as a palace servant? Perhaps I'd marry another servant - _or a certain stable boy_ - and we'd move into our own quarters and raise a family within the palace gates… Maybe that life wouldn't be as bad as I had once feared, but then I remembered Garrett's quiet threats to stay away from Edward, and the fact that servants didn't even see their children often, and I knew without a doubt that I couldn't stay indefinitely. I had to do something. If I couldn't kill the king, then I needed to find a way out.

"Hey Liam?" I asked anxiously a couple days later. "Hypothetically, if someone wanted to leave their position here…"

"Don't!" he interrupted me.

"Don't what?" I asked confused.

"Don't even think it, child. The only way out of here is in a coffin."

"But…Headmistress threatens to have me removed from my job all the time?" I questioned warily.

"There is no leaving. If you don't do your job adequately, you just get demoted."

"Demoted? How could I get any lower than I already am?"

"You can always get lower, trust me," he said vaguely before going about his business.

It seemed I would have to figure a way out on my own, so with more determination than I had felt in a long time, I spent every free daylight hour I had searching for some kind of hidden passageway out of the gates. I would continue to do my best as a servant, still hoping to get promoted, but I needed an escape plan in case things went wrong.

The wall around the grounds was so high that climbing over wasn't possible, so I'd need to find a weak spot, or a hidden hole big enough to squeeze through. I began walking around the perimeter, when suddenly I had an uneasy feeling like I was being followed, and it seemed that feeling was accurate…

"Well well, if it's not Bella of the First Floor of the North Wing," a familiar voice said behind me, which made me bit my lip to refrain from smiling.

I turned and silently gasped, as his beauty once again took my breath away, even more-so than before because he appeared to be clean…well mostly.

"Hello again, Edward," I said, trying to maintain my composure.

"You know, I was starting to think you keeled over from your grueling schedule since I haven't seen you around in a while," he teased. "Or, that the king realized you were missing. He hates his concubines roaming the grounds."

"Har har," I said with a smile. "I've just been busy. I do apologize for not meeting you that day; I told Garrett I had to work, but I wasn't sure if he'd relay the message or not."

"He didn't say anything, but I figured you had to have a good reason. But that's okay, we're both off now, so let's go."

"Oh…I'd like to, but I really can't," I said regretfully.

"Why?" he asked skeptically. "You're off, are you not?"

"Yes, but…"

"No buts. Life in the palace walls can be draining, especially for someone originally from the outside, if you don't find a way to have some fun, you'll lose everything that makes you, you. Besides, there's no reason you can't escape for a few hours," he said taking me aback. Perhaps if he didn't use the word _'escape'_ I would have been able to resist, but he was right - I was drained and desperate, and I'd take any level of escape I could get at that point.

"Okay, but only on one condition," I told him. "You can't tell Garrett…or anyone for that matter. If I go with you wherever you want me to go, it has to be a secret."

He nodded as if he was taking my request seriously, but then – "Yeah, it could be dangerous if anyone finds out I'm hanging with one of the king's concubines."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You know what, I think I'm going to just go back to my room," I said with faux irritation.

"Oh, I'm just joking."

"Find some new jokes," I said evenly.

"Okay, I promise, no more concubine jokes," he conceded.

"Alright then, let's go," I said, feeling my first excitement in weeks.

"You still trust me, right?" he asked with a smirk.

"I shouldn't….but I'm willing to go against my better judgment this one time. I will warn you though, I do know how to defend myself."

He chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."


	4. Colors

Chapter IV – _Colors_

"So, why are we at the stables?" I asked confused when Edward led me to the last place I wanted to go. "Garrett's going to see me here and get upset," I mumbled anxiously.

"Nah, he's off on some secret mission somewhere," Edward replied unexpectedly.

My heart jumped. "Secret mission?"

Edward chuckled. "That's just what I call it when the king asks him to do something away from the stables. Garrett always refuses to tell me anything about it, so I'm convinced the king has him doing something pretty terrible that he's ashamed of. He always looks so upset when he comes back."

"That's….awful," I said quietly, thinking once again that it was very possible for Garrett to be a fellow conspirator, or at the very least, aware of would-be assassins and supportive of the cause.

"Okay, suit up," Edward said while handing me what looked like men's riding clothes.

"Uh…"

He smirked. "Do you want to go for a ride or not?"

"We're taking the king's horses somewhere?" I asked baffled. "Couldn't we get into trouble for that?"

"No, it's part of the job. These horses need to be ran regularly, and that includes off the palace grounds….but they'd never let a woman go, so suit up, and pull your hair under the hat."

"You're serious?" I asked as my stomach did flips with joy. Was Edward really going to get me out of the palace's suffocating gates? I could take the horse and run away and never look back. The thought was definitely enticing.

I quickly took the clothes and changed in an obscure part of the stables, and easily tied my hair up under the hat Edward provided. It wasn't my first experience with men's trousers; I used to wear my brother's old pants when I did my chores back at the farm, but it had been a while, and these cow skin pants were definitely a new feeling against my skin.

"Wow," Edward said when I emerged from my changing location. "You…don't look like a boy."

"Oh….Is my hair slipping out?" I asked concerned.

"A little," he said while walking over to me, before straightening my hat, and then shoving his hand under the rim to tuck in the rogue strands. It was way more intimate than I was prepared for, and his close proximity actually made me hold my breath to the point of dizziness. _God, he was even more beautiful up close_.

"There," he said, pleased by his work. "You still don't look like a boy though."

"Should I rub dirt on my face?" I asked, desperately hoping he wouldn't change his mind about taking me.

"No, it'll be fine, just keep your head down. Now, which of these beasts would you like to ride?"

I smiled mischievously and pointed to BD.

Edward laughed. "How did I know you were going to pick him? Sorry to disappoint you, but only the king and Garrett are allowed to ride him."

"Oh, too bad."

He laughed again. "Okay, how about this one?" he said, pointing at a medium sized red horse. "He's a strong reliable horse. Used to be Prince Caius's when he was learning to ride, but he has since outgrown him…or he pretended to anyway. He's a fine horse, just not as fast as some."

"Well I'd be honored to ride him," I said sincerely. A horse deemed not good enough by the prince was probably just not mean enough, which made him more than fine by me.

I mounted the horse, and automatically kicked my leg over, which made Edward raise his brows with amused surprise. "And here I thought I would have to instruct you on how to ride like a man. I guess I should have known better."

I giggled. "It's just easier this way. I never understood the point to side saddle," I said honestly.

"_A lady always keeps her legs closed_," he said in some ridiculous old lady accent.

"Well then I guess I'm no lady."

"No, you're far more interesting that some boring stuffy _lady_," he said with a grin.

"Thank you. Now get on your horse, or am I going alone?"

He laughed once, and then took a big buck skinned horse from the stall across from us.

"Wow, he's beautiful too," I said while reaching over to pat his horse.

"This used to be the queen's before she passed. Now, he was too much for her and she hated him. I swear, my grandfather purposely acquired horses they'd all hate."

"Maybe he was hoping BD would end up killing the king," I joked, but Edward's face fell flat.

"Do you think that's really why?" he mused.

I shrugged. "Maybe…I'm sure there are a lot of people here that wish the king would suffer a worse fate."

I was expecting Edward to laugh and agree, but he seemed to be momentarily lost in some distant thought. Then he took a deep breath. "Let's go before the guard shift change."

"What happens after the guard shift change?" I questioned.

"Nothing really, but the men working the gate right now are friendly and won't give us a second thought. The men taking over after noon will be more nosey and give us a harder time."

"Let's hurry then," I agreed.

We rode slowly through the grounds towards the gate, and I did my best to keep my head down so people wouldn't recognize me, but I did notice something odd – Edward, who kept his head up high, didn't acknowledge anyone we passed in the busy courtyard, and they didn't attempt to say hello to him either. The entire thing was odd.

When we easily made it out of the gates, and were safely out of hearing range from everyone, I voiced my confusion. "So…do you not know many people here at the palace?" I asked him.

"I know everyone at the palace. Why?"

"Oh, well…you didn't say hello to anyone as we left. I would have thought you would."

Edward chuckled. "You really don't understand the way the palace is run yet, do you? When servants are working, they're not supposed to socialize; not even a quick friendly greeting. But even more importantly, when on these horses, people assume its official business; therefore, interrupting could be a punishable offense."

"Oh."

"That's the way it's always been."

"Maybe I should try to learn more from you before I get myself into trouble," I semi-joked.

"That's probably a good idea," he said seriously. "But I can't teach you if you hide from me."

"I wasn't hiding," I lied.

"No, just trying to avoid me to the point where I thought something happened to you."

"Well….Garrett said I should leave you alone," I admitted.

Surprisingly, Edward wasn't surprised. "Yeah, Garrett is very suspicious of newcomers. He thinks people get jobs at the palace to be in a position to assassinate the king."

My stomach dropped….and then flipped…and then I felt like I was going to throw up.

He laughed at whatever expression I was wearing. "Don't worry, I highly doubt anybody is there to kill the king. Nobody even gets close enough to kill him other than his court and advisers…oh, and his concubines. I'd be more suspicious of them than any of the servants…" He paused to consider something. "Well, I suppose Garrett would actually be in a good position to kill him if he really wanted to. I mean, all he'd have to do is sabotage his saddle or hurt BD in some way that will cause the king to fall. The terrain is really rocky here - he could hit his head…. And that is way too much talk of murder," he said with a laugh.

I laughed once too. "It would solve a lot of problems though," I said hesitantly, unsure what his reaction would be.

"It would solve some problems, and create a whole bunch of new ones. Caius isn't ready to be king."

"What if they were both gone?" I asked carefully.

Edward huffed. "Then that would be an even bigger problem. Volterra needs a king, so somebody would have to do it. You think things are bad now? Without a king there would be massive civil wars between the lords and their domains. Everything would be in chaos. Many people would die. Aro is a terrible oppressor, but at least he's kept the peace."

I took a deep breath as I considered what he was saying. Surely my father and Carlisle had some kind of plan for when Caius and Aro were killed, I just didn't know what it could possibly be. "Still, the king needs to be stopped somehow."

"Thankfully for us, we don't have to be the ones to figure it out," he said playfully before kicking his horse and taking off in a quick gallop. I followed his lead, but after seeing the incredible vast open space before me, I felt the overwhelming need to go even faster. It was freedom, at its most beautiful, and I couldn't get away from the palace fast enough.

I had no idea how long I kept to that speed for - it felt so incredible that I would have gone as far as the horse could take me - but suddenly Edward passed me up, and snickered as he went.

"Oh, we're racing, are we?" I said, mostly to myself since he was too far to hear. I kicked my horse and tried to make him run even faster, but at his full speed he was just no match for Edward's horse, and I silently sulked to myself knowing he probably gave me the slower horse on purpose.

All too soon Edward began to slow, and my horse automatically reduced speed to match his pace. "We're almost there," Edward informed me.

"Almost where?"

"Almost to where we're going," he replied.

I hadn't noticed until then, but the wide open terrain had begun to morph into a forested mountain type region - Both were equally beautiful and held their own appeal. I felt safe in the woods; so much safer than I had felt in a very long time, and I was already dreading the time when we would have to return to the palace. _Perhaps I could convince Edward to run away with me_.

"It's just through here," Edward said when the trees and shrubbery grew so thick that it was hard to see the path ahead.

"Where…" I was about to question him on his intended location, but I let my sentence trail off as the incredible sight of a meadow unfolded before us, which came complete with a crystal blue lake. I had never seen a place so colorful in all of my days, and I wondered if my eyes had even beheld such astounding hues. The various shades of green in the grass, the purples and yellows of the wildflowers, the deep rich blue of the water against the soft delicate blue of the sky; even the orange tint of the butterflies that fluttered there seemed more vibrant that any I had witnessed before. It was absolutely breathtaking; as if god himself painted it by hand. "Wow," was all I was able to say.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Edward agreed as he dismounted his horse. "Come on, let's walk around." He offered his hand to help me down, but I refused it – Physically touching him in a magical place like that would certainly create unwelcomed tension, and I wasn't entirely sure I was strong enough to resist it.

"Should we tie up the horses?" I asked concerned as my horse began walking off.

"No, they'll be fine. They're trained to come back when they hear a whistle, but I doubt they'll go anywhere anyway. Look at all that juicy grass for them to eat."

"How did you find this place?" I asked, still in awe by its splendor.

"My grandfather used to take me when I was a boy. I have no idea how he found it. As far as I know, you're the only other person who's been here since he died."

"Thank you," I said emotionally, not really knowing what else to say to that. I had no idea what made Edward want to bring me there, but I was so incredibly grateful.

"So…do you want to go swimming?" he asked excitedly.

"Uh – _no_!" I said quickly, with incredulousness heavy in my tone.

His face fell like a pouting child. "Why not?"

"What would you have us swim in, our undergarments?"

He shrugged. "Don't worry, you don't have anything I haven't seen."

My mouth fell open in offense.

"I'm only kidding," he relented. "We could go swimming fully dressed; in this heat we'd dry quick enough, or we could just walk around for a bit, or just lounge. I do carry around a small library in my saddle pouch."

"Really?" I asked eagerly. "May I see what books you have?"

"Of course."

He actually had a great selection, and after picking the one that sounded most interesting to me, Edward spread out a blanket he had tied to the back of his saddle, and we both sat and read for a while. It was an enthralling read, but I still couldn't seem to focus my attention on the words. The glory that surrounded us was just too magnificent to waste time on black and white pages; I needed to drink in all its beauty before we had to leave…and all its beauty included the wonder that was Edward. He fit so perfectly in that scene, as if he was born right out of the colorful foliage there.

"What?" he asked without looking up from his book.

"What, what?" I asked confused.

"What are you staring at? I've felt your eyes on me for the past five minutes at least."

I should have denied it, but as usual my mouth lacked the ability to discipline itself. "I've just…never seen such colors before," I admitted.

He looked up finally and glanced at the scenery. "It is beautiful this time of year. If only we could find a way to use some of the water here to hydrate our gardens…certainly less people would go hungry."

"I was talking about _your_ coloring actually," I said like a total fool.

"My coloring?" he questioned confused.

"Yeah…your eyes are as green as this field, and your hair…it's the color of the sky when the sun sets below the horizon."

"Oh," he said in understanding. "Yeah, my mother was from Ireland. Her hair was as orange as one of those butterflies there. I'm just grateful mine isn't so bright."

"Really?" I asked surprised. "Are all Irish people colored in that way?"

"Not all; my grandfather's hair was almost black before it greyed. The orange is just more prevalent in that part of the world."

"How did your mother come to work at the palace?" I asked curiously.

"Uh…Actually I believe my grandfather originally worked for the Irish monarchy. When they came to Volterra to organize a trade agreement, they offered one of their horses as a gift…I guess my grandfather and his family came as part of the deal. He was the best horse trainer anyone had ever seen; Aro was lucky to have him."

"So you're Irish…you're not even Volterrian at all," I mused.

Edward cocked his head to the side. "My mother was a young child when they came here….I was conceived here, so I would assume that would make me at least half Volterrian."

"Oh, right… Well what about…"

"You know, we should probably be getting back," he cut me off. "The afternoon guards at the gate are bad, but the evening ones are worse. We definitely want to get you through before they start their shift."

I wanted to ask him to run away with me, it was sincerely on the tip of my tongue, but for whatever reason I chose not to voice it. "Do you think I'll ever be able to come back here?" I asked hopefully.

"Sure, we can make that happen."

"Promise?" I challenged him.

"I promise. And hey, maybe next time we can go swimming."

"How do you even know I can swim?" I asked playfully.

"I doubt there's much you can't do," he said with a laugh.

"You'd be surprised," I said as I unwillingly thought of my mission. If his statement was true, then the king would already be dead and I'd be on my way back home by then. The thought made my heart ache, and I became all that much more homesick.

We rode back to the palace, but I couldn't help the feeling of dread I had as we approached the gate; it was like voluntarily returning to prison when escape could have been so simple. I tried convincing myself to beg Edward to turn around with me, and then I mentally cursed myself when we crossed the palace boundary and I lost my chance. The only solace I found was the promise Edward had made to take me back out again soon – Perhaps next time I'd be brave enough to stay out for good…


	5. Sucking the Light

Chapter V – _Sucking the Light_

Since first going out with Edward, life within the confines of the palace walls was actually better than I ever thought it could possibly be. Edward worked many more days than I did, but even when he was on duty he'd often sneak away for a few hours to come spend time with me. We'd talk about anything and everything, and there were never any awkward moments of silence between us. The only subject that was off limits was my family, and he didn't seem to mind that whatsoever; in fact, he didn't seem to particularly care about talking about his family either, so it worked for us.

In just a few weeks' time, Edward had introduced me to practically everyone at the palace. When he wasn't on 'official business' with the horses, everyone was very friendly and talked to him as if he were a member of their families, and since I was his friend, they all accepted me and treated me in the same regard.

Garrett was extremely unhappy when he found out about our growing friendship, but Edward refused to stop seeing me, and for whatever reason, Garrett actually backed down. He was still uncomfortable around me, but he tried to not let Edward see it. Every once in a while, however, I'd catch his icy glare and it would send shivers down my spine, but I did my best to ignore it because I certainly didn't want to press my luck.

In addition to the many people I got to know through Edward, I was also able to learn the grounds as if it was my own family farm. Edward knew all the ins and outs of the place, and had all types of tricks and shortcuts to get anywhere he wanted for any reason…

"Come through here," he told me one afternoon.

"No, I don't think so. I was always taught to stay out of dark passages," I joked.

"You won't be sorry," he tried enticing me.

I bit my lower lip. "Okay, but if we get caught, I'm telling them you dragged me in there against my will."

He laughed. "It wouldn't matter. Demetri and Felix are working in the area right now, and they'd cover my tracks if I asked them to."

I rolled my eyes. "Is there anyone here that won't let you get away with stuff?"

"No," he said straight faced. "The king only thinks he runs the place, but really it's me," he jested. "Especially when he's away."

"The king is away?" I asked, strangely feeling so much better about every aspect of being there. "Where did he go?"

"How am I supposed to know? I just readied the horses for his trip."

"But…I thought he rarely left the palace grounds? I mean, this place is like a fortress, he's not so safe out there unprotected."

"He doesn't leave often, but when he does, everyone here relaxes. Why do you think everyone's been so cheery lately?"

"Oh, I guess I didn't realize."

"Come on, pick up the pace," he said with faux resentment. "I've never gone through here so slowly before."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. Where are we going, anyway?" I asked as I continued to follow him through the small dark tunnel like structure. It was a good thing I wasn't afraid of tight enclosed spaces.

"You'll see," he said with an obvious smirk in is voice.

Thankfully the tunnel wasn't too long, and we emerged in the last place I was expecting. "We're inside the north wing," I said as I looked around at my familiar workplace.

He wiggled his brows. "Now, anytime you want to escape, you know how."

I smiled and shook my head. "Headmistress keeps too close of an eye on me. She'd know if I disappeared from my duty the way _you_ often do."

"Nah, I bet she wouldn't notice. Wait until she checks on you once, and then leave. You probably have about two hours before she comes back."

"I can't," I said regretfully. "My work is scrutinized enough, and I've already had a warning. Anymore and I could be out of my position."

"Oh, Headmistress just likes to threaten people with that, she won't really do anything to you, especially not while the king is away. Why do you care about being scrutinized anyway? So what if your floors aren't spotless?"

"Well…I'll never get promoted, that's for certain."

"And why would you want to be promoted? Do you really think scrubbing pots in the kitchen, or changing soiled linens as a chambermaid would be better than washing floors?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, maybe."

"Well, it's not. My mother was a chambermaid, and it's terrible work."

"What's so terrible about it?" I asked curiously.

"It just is."

"Okay….But I do think working in the kitchen would be nice."

"Nice? More like hot, and stinky, and you'd be constantly up to your elbows in leftover muck. Be grateful for the job you have, trust me."

I sighed. "I suppose you're right." – _But I'm in no position to kill the king here_ – I added mentally.

"Come on, let's keep going," Edward said as he opened up a second secret passage in that hall.

"I've been cleaning here for months, and I've never noticed these passages," I said, slightly bitter.

"Wow, I guess you _are_ a horrible maid," he teased me.

"I am. God, I wish my grandmother taught me better cleaning skills."

Edward chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I doubt any of the maidservants know about these. They're secret for a reason."

"Where does this one lead?" I asked concerned.

"Right here," he said excitedly as he pushed his way out of the darkness into a bright room.

"It's…"

"The palace kitchen!" he finished for me enthusiastically. "If you're ever tired of that slop they feed us from the servant kitchen, just sneak in here and get something better. That's what I always do," he said as he opened the largest food storage closet I had ever seen. "They have all sorts of amazing things in here. Oh, you have to try this…" he said while pulling out a jar of some sort. "It's peanuts crushed into a paste. The head cook calls it peanut-paste."

"But….this is stealing," I said slowly as thoughts of poisoning the king rolled through my mind. I couldn't deliver the food to him personally, but if I could figure out exactly what food would be served to him, I could possibly finally kill him.

"No, it's not stealing… Well, I suppose it kind of is, but the kitchen staff doesn't care. Hell, they're happy to feed hungry servants as opposed to those fat noblemen all the time. Now, try this," he insisted.

"Where is everyone?" I asked as I warily dabbed my finger into the jar. "I would have thought this place would be crowded with workers at every minute of the day."

"Usually is, but not when the king is away," he said with a smile, and because I hesitated about actually tasting the gunk on my finger, he took my hand and shoved it up to my mouth.

_God, almighty!_

"Good, huh?" he said with a knowing grin.

…

The palace really was a different place under the absence of the king. When I did mess up at my chores, which was still often, headmistress would glare disapprovingly, but give no other reprimand or threat; I may have even witnessed a smile from her, though it was fleeting. Everyone was so friendly and happy all the time that I was really starting to feel a sense of home there. It was like a community of neighbors and friends, where parents were seen actually playing with their children, and joy and laughter filled the air. But just as the sun was always overcome by night, darkness would always find a way to devour the light….

"I don't think I could ever get sick of this place," I said as I once again marveled at the beauty of our meadow getaway. It wasn't our first trip back to the lake on the horses, but every time I seemed to find a new wonder to behold. Just then, a giant eagle swept down to catch a fish in the water, and I was overtaken by the powerful grace of the creature. "Did you see that?" I asked Edward excitedly.

"The eagles nest here this time of year," Edward said emotionlessly.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked concerned by his lack of enthusiasm. Edward had a natural zest for life, but it was obviously dormant at that moment.

"The king is due to return in a few days. I doubt we'll be able to get away as often," he said quietly.

"Oh." I really didn't know how to respond to that. On one hand, it was good that the king was returning; I had used his absence to get to know the palace so much more than I probably would have otherwise, and with my newfound access to the kitchen, I may finally accomplish what I was there for…_but was I ready? _Achieving my goal would mean murdering someone, but it would also mean leaving the people I had grown fond of. I had no idea what would happen after the king was dead, but I knew for a fact I wouldn't be staying at the palace. I'd never see any of those people again, and that was a heartbreaking reality.

"It's going to be tough transitioning back to life with him here," Edward continued. "He makes everyone so…nervous. I don't know, I guess a part of me hoped he'd never return; that he'd succumb to rebels, or even just the natural elements of travel."

I laughed once. "You couldn't convince Garrett to mess with his saddle?" I joked.

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "If only."

"Edward…." I wanted to ask him a question, but I hesitated and tried to force myself to stay quiet….but then again, I was never any good at listening to my conscience, so my mouth ran away without my permission - "What are your plans…for the future? I mean…do you want to stay at the palace permanently…do you ever want to get married?"

I could feel my face flood with heat the moment the words were out, but that didn't mean I regretted saying them. My feelings for him were definitely stronger than anything I had ever felt, but we were nothing more than friends, and I had no way of knowing if he had any kind of romantic feelings for me whatsoever.

The question was forward and unconventional, but I just couldn't shut up. I wanted to be with him, and I was just dying to know if he could possibly ever feel the same way about me. Perhaps I could finally tell him my secret. Perhaps he could even actually help me on my mission, and then we could leave together and just find a way to be…happy. God knew he hated the king as much as I did, but with him being born and raised on the palace grounds, it was also possible he may be apprehensive about ever leaving.

Edward was quiet as he thought about my question, and then he sighed. "I suppose everyone heads in that direction eventually," he said reservedly.

"I mean, why don't you leave and get that farm you talked about wanting? Start a family; live a life you could never have here?" I added.

He shook his head ever so slightly. "Servants don't have that luxury. We don't get to pick how we live our lives."

"No, but….look, we're out, we're free. We could just go, and nobody would ever find us."

"They'd find us," he said bitterly. "They'd never stop hunting. We'd never be free."

"So…you never want to marry at all?"

"It's difficult to want something when the choice isn't yours," he said evenly.

I thought back to how Garrett said he would choose when Edward was ready to take a wife, and I sighed. "Perhaps Garrett would give his blessing if he thought it was something you truly wanted," I suggested. It was common for a parent or guardian to choose when someone was ready to marry, but it wasn't a law, so I was slightly confused about Edward's issue. "You could always take a wife regardless."

"It's not going to happen, Bella!" he snapped at me unexpectedly, before getting up and walking off towards the water to toss stones.

I was confused, but even more than that, I was embarrassed. It wasn't 'dignified' for a woman to ask a man such a question, and the fact that he seemed so resentful just led me to believe he didn't return my feelings.

After a few minutes, he walked back to me. "We should be getting back so I can run the rest of the horses," he mumbled awkwardly. I hated the wedge that my comment had forced between us, and I was definitely worried that I ruined our friendship permanently. But Edward wasn't one to dwell, so when we arrived back at the stable, he seemed to try to smooth things over between us.

"Hey, you know, when the king is here, they always keep the kitchen pantry full of peanut paste," he said while nudging me playfully.

I smiled halfheartedly. "There's always a bright side to everything."

Over the next few days, Edward and I still spent our free time together as usual, but it was definitely strained, and I wasn't sure if it was because of what happened in the meadow, or something else entirely. Edward was distant, and when the king finally did return, that distance increased tenfold….

"Edward, the king," Eleazar pointed out when the royal coach appeared through the front gate, which was followed by three other carriages. Edward and I were having lunch in the front garden with Eleazar, who was the head blacksmith, and his wife and son, when the royal procession arrived. Eleazar and his family were some of the sweetest people I had ever met, but even they had a hard time keeping their composure when it came to the king's presence.

Edward rolled his eyes, and then both men stood to watch the king's coach pass us by and approach the palace entrance; Eleazar's wife Carmen and I both just watched from where we were sitting, but we had a good enough view.

I had never actually seen the king before, but when he exited the coach he stood out like a sore thumb; dressed elaborately in silks and other fine material, he was hard to miss. He was tall, with a wide frame, and his long black hair laid perfectly down his back. He held his face in a position of arrogance, and even without a preconceived opinion, I would have thought him to be a cruel man just from his expression.

"Oh look, he brought home his entire menagerie," Edward said with an annoyed undertone as more extremely well dressed people emerged from the carriages behind the king's. In all, there were about twelve people who followed the king into the palace.

"Who are they?" I asked.

"Just members of his entourage. His confidants and minions," Edward explained. But then someone else came into view…a young blond woman. She actually stepped out of the king's carriage, which seemed odd to me, but Edward and Eleazar understood right away.

"A new bride," Eleazar announced.

"Wonderful. Let's hope she produces another heir so the king won't be in such a bad mood all the time," Edward said coldly.

"Why would the king need another heir?" I asked confused.

"The more heirs, the stronger the monarchy," Eleazar explained. "Caius is reckless. If something were to happen to him it would leave Aro's line vulnerable."

"Oh."

"For that young girl's sake, I hope she conceives soon. The last three queens didn't fair too well from failure," Carmen said quietly.

"What? He executes them if they don't become pregnant?" I asked horrified.

"You'd think after three healthy young women fail to conceive, he'd get the hint the problem lies within him," Edward said, basically ignoring my question.

"He did catch that fever not long after Caius was born, it could have hindered his reproductive capabilities," Eleazar agreed.

"One can only hope," I said, which basically made Eleazar and Carmen look at me in shock; Edward dismissed my comment since he was used to my disdain for the king. "I just mean..."

"You just mean that the kingdom would be better without Aro's line," Carmen finished for me. "Most agree with you," she said in an obvious attempt to make me feel better. My mouth had run away from me yet again, I was only lucky it was amongst friends.

"It's just…there are some evils that run in the blood," I said hesitantly, repeating what my father had once said.

"That just simply isn't true!" Eleazar spat. "You have no idea what you're talking about. My father was a murderer who killed my mother and the entire neighboring family. I am not my father. I am a good man." I was stunned by his outburst, but the most stunning aspect of it was the fact that he was right. I was raised to believe in the whole _'Sins of the Father'_ thing, but I could never see Eleazar as a bad man.

"I'm sorry, I never meant any disrespect," I said regretfully.

"One can overcome their circumstance and their family misdeeds. I pray every day that my son will become a better man than me, and the same can be said for our next king," Eleazar added.

"No, I agree with Bella," Edward said unexpectedly. "No good can come from that man. Caius is proof of that."

With the king's return, the palace also returned to its previous state of tension and fear. It was like the king sucked all the light out of the place, and completely devoured everything good. There were no more smiles hello; people hardly even made eye contact when they passed each other, and the stagnant emotions weighed heavy on everyone. When I'd visit Edward at the stables, he'd either be too busy to stop and talk, so I'd end up just standing by and watching him work, or he just wouldn't be there at all.

"He's running errands in the village," Garrett would tell me, so I'd force a courteous smile and then go about my business.

But then it happened - the moment that would cause my life to shift in a way that I never expected…


	6. Claimed

Chapter VI – _Claimed_

_But then it happened - the moment that would cause my life to shift in a way that I never expected…_

I was cleaning the floors in the north wing, just as I did every other day, when I realized that my water bucket had dirtied too much to effectively clean anymore. So I stood and picked up the bucket, and began to carry it back to the exit in order to get fresh water. I turned the corner too quickly, and rammed right into a group of people, spilling the soiled water all over them.

It would have been horrifying enough if it had been random staff members, but I quickly realized just how enormous my clumsy mistake was. I stared at them stunned, but after a long surreal moment, I quickly lowered my eyes and bowed my head. One of the men started screaming insults at me, but I couldn't even focus on his words because I was absolutely trembling with fear.

"Enough, Alec," the king said in a strangely soft tone. He then turned to the woman standing with them, and spoke to her so quietly that it was impossible for me to hear what they were saying.

Had he been anyone else, I would have been apologizing profusely, but I was strongly warned to never speak to the king unless spoken to first, and to never make eye contact unless directed to. I had no way of knowing what my punishment would be for throwing dirty water on the king, but the possibilities went from bad to worse; lashings, demotion, dungeon, death.

But then the king did speak to me. "You're new here, aren't you?" he asked in a sickly sweet tone that almost made me think he was kind…_almost_.

"Uh…I've been here for several months, your majesty," I mumbled without looking up.

"I do enjoy seeing new faces in my palace from time to time. It makes everything more interesting; don't you agree?"

I didn't respond, because I simply had no idea how, and I wasn't even sure if he was still speaking to me or not. I kept my eyes on the floor, but that only forced me to take notice when he took a step closer to me…and then another… and another. I even watched his hand as it slowly came up towards my face, and I reflexively took a step back.

"How dare you move away from the king!" a different man yelled at me.

"No, its fine," the king said quickly. He reached for my face again, but this time I tried like hell to stay still. He grabbed my chin and lifted so he could see my entire face, but I still kept my eyes on anything but him.

"It's ok child, you can look at me," he said softly. It wasn't a request like he made it sound, so I moved my eyes and looked at him square in the face. "Now then, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

The moment I looked in his eyes, something happened that I never expected; I saw into his soul….and it was black. The man was the epitome of everything wrong in the world, but that was expected, what shocked me was the fact that I wasn't afraid, and a sudden calmness washed over me as a result. Despite the obvious darkness inside of him, he was just a man, and I refused to live in fear of him anymore. If I lived, if I died, nothing would change the fact that he would die one day as well, and when that day came, Volterra would rejoice.

"Splendid," the king said after seeming to evaluate my face. He then released me and turned to the woman standing with him; he gave her some kind of hushed order, then he continued with his group to wherever they were going.

"Get back to work," Headmistress said gently, in an almost sympathetic way. I didn't even know she was there, but apparently she had seen the entire thing, and apparently I was in a lot more trouble than the king let on.

"What's going to happen to me?" I asked her as calmly as I was capable of, but she didn't answer, she just shook her head and walked away. I had no choice but to finish my chores, but I worked in a daze knowing I was in some kind of horrible crisis.

After work, I just started walking and found myself at the stables. I didn't set out to go there, but I realized in that moment that I just needed to be with Edward. He always made everything better, and I was desperate to hear his comforting voice, to see his reassuring smile, and to finally beg him to run away with me…but, of course, he wasn't there, and Garrett refused to tell me where he was.

I spent the entire following day lying awake in my bed, just waiting for someone to come retrieve me for my punishment, but nobody showed. When the next morning came, I knew I didn't have a choice but to go into my usual work time and face the consequences, but like before, I wasn't afraid. I refused to be afraid for myself; my only regret was not succeeding in my mission, and not being of any help rescuing my brother. Deep down, I must have known that I'd never see Emmett again, because I didn't feel like the loss of hope was all that raw. It was as if I was already healing from the pain that happened months ago when he was first captured, or perhaps I was had just grown numb from the grief. Emmett was probably dead, and I was probably about to join him in the afterlife.

I walked slowly to the north wing, and had no idea what to expect when I got there, but I certainly wasn't expecting what happened….

"You don't work here anymore," Headmistress said to me as I went to grab a bucket.

I took a deep settling breath, and then turned to look at her. "Nobody came for me," I said softly.

"He'll take you," she replied while gesturing behind me to a guard.

I swallowed hard, and then let the guard lead me to wherever I was supposed to go. Many people had been executed in the past for far lesser crimes than spilling dirty water on the king, and I was sure I would be no exception…except, I was.

"You must be the new royal chambermaid," a woman said after I was lead up a flight of stairs.

_Uh… _

"Are you mute?" she asked me irritated.

I cleared the shock out of my throat. "No, ma'am…I just really don't understand what's going on here."

"What's going on here, is that you've been selected to be a member of the royal chambermaids. Only the best of the best are able to work in the royal quarters, so congratulations," she said mockingly.

But that just confused me even more. "There must be some sort of mistake. I'm really not very good at my job at all," I admitted. "In fact, I spilled water all over the king."

"Hmmm, well then I suppose the king must have taken a liking to you," she said unexpectedly. "Thank your lucky stars, girl; your pretty face just bumped you up to a huge upgrade. Keep up those looks and you might just get another promotion…although, the next step's probably not be one you'd want to take."

"What do you mean?" I asked concerned.

She laughed once. "I'm sure you'll see soon enough. How old are you anyway?"

"Eighteen," I said warily.

"And a virgin, I'd presume?" she said bitterly. I didn't see how that was any of her business, so I didn't answer, but I guess my lack of a response was all the answer she needed. "Uh-huh, won't be long," she said to herself. I understood immediately then, the king often bedded the girls who worked in that position, but there was no way in hell I'd ever be one of them. "My name is Heidi, by the way; I'm the head chambermaid. Your new uniform is in there," she told me while pointing into a doorway.

I just stared at her in disbelief for a moment, but then shook off the incredulousness of the sudden shift in my situation, and went to get changed. It was obvious that the king must have found me attractive and thus _'promoting'_ me, and as I began to see the other girls who worked there, I was definitely starting to notice a trend. All were either very old and had probably been there for decades, or were very pretty and very young, mid-twenties and below. It made my stomach churn violently from disgust. I wasn't a concubine, thank god, but it was far too close for comfort.

When I found my new uniform, I was shocked by the huge difference it was from my old one. It was tight, and had a corset built inside that pushed up what little cleavage I had in the most embarrassing way. I knew the king was a sick bastard, but having his personal chambermaids dressed in such a manner was ridiculous. How was I even supposed to work efficiently when I could hardly breathe in such a tight garment? But I got dressed regardless, and hurried to work. As horrible as it was, becoming a royal chambermaid was why I was there, and I would not fail this time. I would never allow the king to touch me in a sexual manner, but if I had to parade around in that distasteful uniform to be in that position, then so be it.

Thankfully the king wasn't actually in his room at the time, so I simply did my job and tried to make mental notes of all the different aspects of the rooms there. The royal chambers consisted of twelve rooms that I was aware of: Six large bedrooms, four washrooms, and two sitting rooms. In addition to those rooms that I was allowed to be in the cleaning rotation for, there was one more double wide door at the end of the furthest hall, which was only labeled with a large letter C, and I was never allowed to go in. No one would tell me what was in there, but I did see certain older staff members go in and out of it several times that first day I was there.

When my shift was over, I was instructed to change back into my regular off duty clothes, and then go back to my room for the night. Heidi said that after I completed my first month in that new position, all of my belongings would be moved into a larger room, which I shrugged off. I didn't plan on being there that long, and if I was, then I certainly didn't need a bigger room. There were entire families in the palace that had quarters no bigger than my current one, so I just didn't feel right about any of it.

The rest of the week went by uneventfully. It actually wasn't much different than my previous job, except for the attire, of course, and my schedule, which was changed so I had to work five days and would get the sixth off. Working more than I was used to wasn't going to be easy, but then again I was actually glad because it finally felt like I was getting somewhere with my mission. I'd need to be a 'loyal' chambermaid for a while before they'd let me handle his food, but I was getting closer, there was no doubt about that.

For whatever the reason, I had yet to see the king again, but I knew that wouldn't last long, and I was right. When the next week came, he was there, and it was certainly uncomfortably. I did my best to ignore him and just go about my chores, but I could feel his eyes on me constantly. When I'd finish one room and go on to another, he followed, and gave no excuses for his migrations. He didn't speak to me, but I knew what he really wanted. He promoted me for a reason, and it was only a matter of time until he would make his intentions known.

It continued in that way for three more days, but on the fourth day of the king doing nothing but creepily watching, he changed his behavior.

"Mmmm. How it is possible that you can smell so good after working so hard?" he asked while standing far too close for comfort. I refused to respond, and I just continued on as if nothing was obviously happening, but then he crossed the line. He grabbed a handful of my hair, and brought it up to his face while inhaling deeply. "Strawberries," he said sadistically.

I pulled away, and glared at him challengingly. If he was going to take me, then I sure as hell wasn't going to make it easy on him. He was shocked by my refusal, but he smiled regardless. "You're feisty, I like that. In fact, it was your lack of fear that first struck me that day you spilled the water. I could really use a little more spunk around here."

I shook my head ever so slightly, but thankfully, someone stepped in… literally. "Excuse me, my lord," a guard said while entering the room. The king was angry with the interruption, but after he explained the issue, the king followed him out of the room.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was only momentary because I knew he'd be back all too soon. I was jittery and shaken, and even though I refused to be afraid of him, I was still nauseated from the thought of it.

I had made it a habit of taking the long way home for the evenings, just so my route would bring me by the stables, but I had yet to see Edward there once; on this night, however, his voice rang through me like a church bell on Sunday. I couldn't believe it, he was exactly what I needed in that moment, and I wanted nothing more than to run to him and throw myself into his arms, but I paused before he had a chance to see me because he was definitely in some sort of heated discussion.

"I don't care Felix, just tell me what happened!" Edward demanded.

"I think you should just let it go. It's not something you want to interfere with Edward, trust me," the man he was arguing with replied.

"That's horseshit!" Edward yelled, but then seemed to try to hush his tone as to not draw any attention to them. "Just tell me what happened."

"Edward, let it go!" a different man insisted.

"Fine, you guys don't want to tell me, I'll just have to find out for myself!" Edward said strongly, but then someone else came onto the scene.

"Edward, the king wants to see you," the third man insisted with authority. I recognized the voice, but I couldn't place it so I peeked around the corner to see. It was James, the head of the royal guards.

"Well, that's just too bad for the king; I have other things to do right now," Edward said brazenly.

"It wasn't a request, boy!" James shouted.

"If you want me to go see the king at this moment, then you'll have to take me by force. But I warn you, I won't go easily and you might just have to kill me in the process," Edward told him evenly.

"That can be arranged," James threatened.

"Try it. Go ahead, James, please. I'd actually really enjoy that….But we both know you won't, will you? You're too afraid. You actually believe all that spilled blood mumbo jumbo, don't you?" Edward laughed humorlessly. "It's all a farce; designed to scare people into submission."

There was a pause, and then a heavy breath. "The king won't be happy about this," James said bitterly, before storming off.

"He's right, you know," the first man said quietly. "You're only going to make everything worse by pursuing this. It's best to turn yourself into the king right away. Just concede Edward, and save the battle for another day."

"I just can't do that," Edward replied, and then he turned and walked towards me. I briefly thought about hiding so he wouldn't know I was eavesdropping, but my legs refused to move. He rounded the corner, and stopped right in front of me. "Bella?"

"Edward," I said feeling like my heart was about to jump out of my chest. Since I was starting to think I'd never see him again, standing in front of him in that moment was surreal and absolutely amazing, but more than that, after the day I had, I just needed him close. We stared at each other for an immeasurable amount of time, and then I broke and all my emotions came crashing down like a landslide. He seemed to feel the exact same way as he grabbed me and pulled me into his chest, and just embraced me tightly.

"Are you ok?" he whispered while still holding me.

"Forget about me. I just heard you talking with those men. Are you in some kind of trouble with the king?" I asked in a panic.

"Shh, it's ok," he said soothingly. "Everything is fine."

"What's going on, Edward? Where have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks; I was starting to worry that something happened to you," I said, with my voice breaking at the end.

"I know, I'm so sorry," he cooed. "Everything has just been…crazy lately."

"What do you mean, did something happen?" I pressed.

"I can't really talk about it, but it doesn't matter anymore anyway. Are you ok? I heard about your water incident with the king," he said unexpectedly.

"You did? How?"

"People talk, Bella," he said with a heavyhearted chuckle.

"I spilled water on him… but then he promoted me and everything was fine, until…." I couldn't even finish my sentence, and to be honest, I really didn't want to say it out loud anyway. Edward was there, and that's all I cared about at the moment.

He was quiet for a long minute, and then he pulled away from me, but before I could protest, he grabbed my hand and began leading me somewhere.

"Where are we going?" I asked, but not really caring as long as we stayed together.

"I just want to go somewhere we can speak privately," he said without pausing. He took me to where I could only assume was his room, because I had definitely never been there before. Unmarried men and woman servants weren't allowed in the other's quarters, but for whatever reason, he was more than willing to risk it.

"What's going on?" I asked, concerned by the stress on his face.

"Nothing…everything is fine. You know I'd never let him hurt you, right?" he asked intensely.

"What do you mean?" I asked, wondering if he somehow knew what the king had just done to me. It was as if he was willing to put himself into harm's way just to protect my honor, and I couldn't allow him to do that.

He stared at me again, but this time he definitely seemed to be deep in thought as he did so. "Edward?" I tried prompting him.

"I really missed you," he said slowly.

"I missed you too," I replied, puzzled by his sudden change in direction.

Then, without warning, he stepped closer and grabbed my face in his hands, and planted his lips to mine. I had never been kissed before, but even if I had I doubted it could have compared to that. It was hard and raw, full of restraint, and yet a level of fervency I had never known existed before. I felt his kiss in every fiber of my being, and it caused an aching in my stomach which could only be described as pain, but it was a pain I never wanted to alleviate.

The kiss deepened as our mouths parted, and the meeting of our tongues was completely unexpected, but still felt exactly right. There was a desperateness to it, and there was no way we were going to stop there; I doubted we were even capable of stopping.

Somehow we ended up moving towards his bed, and when the back of my legs touched the wood frame, it knocked me out of my daze just enough to pause. I unconsciously pulled away slightly, but he reconnected his mouth to mine before I even had a chance to form an entire thought. Without feeling of falling backwards, I landed with my back on the bed, and Edward was on top of me.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I was trying to force myself to make him stop. It wasn't proper; fornication was looked upon by society with disdain and disgust, and once people knew of the misdeed, their reputation was tarnished forever. I wasn't one of those girls; I came from a good family and I knew I was better than that…but in that moment, I just couldn't find the will to resist. I could feel him as our bodies pushed tighter together, and I ached to bring him even closer. There were no rational thoughts anymore; it was emotional, physical, and the single most passionate experience of my life.

He brought his hand up my leg, and traced it up my thigh until it was completely under my skirt. He didn't hesitate when he began pulling down my undergarments, and I never tried to stop him. His mouth moved from my lips, to my chin, and down my neck, before moving away just long enough to undo my top. He didn't ask for my permission, nor did he search my face for my eagerness to proceed… but he didn't have to, I wanted it just as much as he did. He lifted my top over my head, and let his kisses trail down to my breasts. My skin was on fire, and every inch of me begged for more. I couldn't get enough of his touch, and I wondered if I ever would. His shirt came off after mine, and then my skirt followed.

I was naked, lying under him completely exposed, and yet I had never felt so comfortable in my own skin before. Edward looked at me like I was the most amazing creature on the planet, and in that moment, I felt like it. I reached down and unfasten his pants, and we both wrestled them down so that there was nothing left between us. I vaguely thought of the pain to come from the initial barrier break, but really, I just didn't care. I wanted him inside of me, and I couldn't think beyond that. When the moment did come, the discomfort was quickly forgotten because Edward and I were connected in every way possible, and it was truly an amazingly incredible feeling.

"Are you ok?" he asked, no louder than a breath as he pushed in and out of me at a slow steady pace.

Unable to speak, I just nodded and held on to him tighter, so he increased the speed of his thrusting. It was rough, yet tender; painful, but pure bliss at the same time. My body was no longer mine, he had taken complete ownership of it, and I surrendered willingly. My emotions were everywhere, and with that simple natural act, I became someone completely unrecognizable to myself, but it all felt exactly right. I didn't want it to end, but suddenly my breathing spiked and I felt myself losing all control. My whole body convulsed and then erupted into a dizzying explosion. Heat flooded through me, followed by a pulsating hum which spread like water through a broken damn.

I felt his body tense then, and a new wave of warmth washed over and inside of me, which only added to the sensation I was already experiencing. He rested his head against mine, and we breathed together in harmonious ecstasy while just staring deeply into the other's eyes.

I just had sex; I willingly lost my virginity to a man who I wasn't married to, and whom I had never even kissed before that night, but instead of feeling dirty and impure, I actually felt the opposite. We had a spiritual connection beyond anything else in my life or realm of previous knowledge of all the world's wonders, and there was nothing that could ever make me regret it.

Neither of us uttered the words _'I love you'_, but the feeling was definitely there and it was undeniably reciprocated. It was an unspoken truth as real as the air we breathed, and just as important. Our connection would never be severed, I was sure of that fact.

He held me for the rest of the night, and I wondered how I ever slept without him. My life changed; a new chapter began, and he was the most vital part of who I had just become. When I woke up, however, I was alone.

"Edward?" I asked as I looked around. There was no note saying where he went, but nothing was moved or looked to be out of the ordinary, so I was fairly positive he had gone somewhere on his own free will. But then his discussion with James the night before replayed in my mind, and I began to fear for his safety – _The king had wanted to see him, and Edward was upset about it…and the men urged Edward to turn himself in…_

I couldn't think straight, and every time I thought about a possible scenario, it was worse than the one before, so I got dressed and headed straight to the stables to see Garrett. He wasn't in the confrontation the night before, but I was positive he'd have some clue as to what was going on.

"Where's Edward?" I asked Garrett strongly.

Garrett was definitely upset about something, and he turned that anger right onto me. "You really don't know what you're messing with here. If you want to do what's best for everyone, I suggest you find a way to leave…right now. I know Edward has shown you ways out; _use them!_ Don't go into work, and don't speak to anyone else. Just go…and never come back."

My heart jumped. "I can't do that," I told him, and then slowly turned and left. He wasn't going to tell me anything, so I was just wasting my time.

I walked around the grounds some more, hoping to find some hints as to where Edward could have gone, but I didn't find anything and no one was willing to talk about it. I felt like the entire palace was in on some huge secret that they were terrified of, and I was the only one completely clueless. _What was going on?_

"Hey, you're late for work!" a guard suddenly yelled at me. "Will you go voluntarily, or do I have to escort you?" he asked in a threatening manner. When I didn't move, he stormed over to me and grabbed me by the arm. It was clear that someone had sent him out looking for me, and he wasn't about to let me go until I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I wanted to find Edward, not be forced back into the king's disgusting grasps, but it seemed I didn't have a choice. The guard practically dragged me all the way to the second floor chamber area, but then he did something odd – he grabbed my hand slyly, and placed a cold hard object in my grasp. I didn't know what it was at first, but when I peeked down I couldn't help but inhale sharply.

It was a small dagger.

I was stunned by the action, and I didn't have time to think it through, so I did the only thing I could do, I hid it in my skirt so nobody else would see. Somehow the guard knew who I was, _who I really was_, and he was trying to help. It was all the motivation I needed. It was time to be done with the king once and for all.

I never intended to kill the king with a dagger, but with the poison still in my apartment, I'd use whatever weapon possible to take him down. I'd never be able to overpower him physically, so I'd have to time it exactly right; a jab to the neck, to the stomach, to the lower side of his back. I could do it, I was finally ready.

"Is the king here?" I asked Heidi as I grabbed my uniform to get dressed.

"No…I'm not informed of his comings and goings ahead of the time, but I was told that he'd probably be out most of the day," she said, making me feel a little more at ease. I began my usual rounds of cleaning, but after about an hour the king came back abruptly, and he was done being 'nice'.

"You know, I always get what I want…and lucky for you, I want _you_," he said venomously, without any other form of greeting, not that I expected any.

He had me cornered against the desk I was dusting, and his disgusting breath was rolling down my neck, but then he grabbed my waist and began pulling at the hem of my skirt. My pulse raced as I tried to reach between us for the dagger, but I just couldn't get to it without drawing attention. If he figured it out, he would definitely overpower me, so I needed to wait until the perfect moment - the perfect moment that would never come...

Suddenly the king was jerked off of me forcefully, and I was stunned beyond belief to see Edward there in an aggressively defensive stance in front of me.

I hadn't been scared until that very moment. Not only did Edward place his hands on the king, but he was staring him down and it was obvious that he had no plans of giving up - both offenses were punishable by death. "You have a lot of nerve, boy!" the king shouted as he recovered himself.

"Yes, I do, but there is no way you are ever going to go near her again!" Edward said fearlessly back.

I gasped as the king charged at him, and grabbed him by the throat. "I will not be challenged!" he said menacingly.

"There's nothing to challenge," Edward replied, unfazed by the king's threat. "She's mine; I've already claimed her, and there is nothing you can do about it."

There was a long pause, but then the king laughed once humorlessly, and released Edward's throat. What happened next shocked the hell out of me, and left me questioning absolutely everything. The king began brushing off Edward's clothes, and even straightened his collar before taking a step back.

"Good. It's about time you took initiative around here. I'll expect it to continue," the king told him with an evil smirk, before turning and walking out the door. I was speechless. I didn't understand what just happened, and I didn't have time to think about it either.

"Are you ok?" Edward murmured to me. He didn't come over to console me, he just stayed in his current position on the opposite side of the room. I didn't make a decision to move, but my head shook slowly from side to side anyway. "Everything is fine," he assured me softly.

I continued to shake my head no, because I truly was beyond baffled as to what just happened, and then I noticed Edward's clothes. He wasn't wearing his typical dirty work clothes that I had always seen him in; he was clean, freshly shaven, and even his hair seemed to be combed, but even more than all that, he was in the royal quarters without any interference from guards.

"Wait, you…You're…Why…?" I couldn't force my mouth to say what I wouldn't even allow myself to think.

"I told you I would keep you safe, and that's what I did," he whispered.

"I need to take her now. King's orders," a woman said to him as she came into the room. Edward didn't take his eyes off of me, but he nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled to me, before turning and walking out of the room the same way the king had.

"Let's go," the woman commanded me.

"Wait, where?" I managed to choke out.

"Room C, of course."


	7. Room C

Chapter VII – _Room C_

"What's Room C?" I asked feeling unnerved.

"You're about to find out," the woman replied with a humorless laugh. I was led to where I already knew the mystery room to be, and then the woman unlocked the door and I nervously followed her inside.

"What is this place?" I asked stunned by the sight in front of me.

"That all depends on you," the woman said casually. "It can be one's personal hell…or it can be heaven right here on Earth."

"I don't understand," I said absently as I looked around the large room, which seemed to branch off into three different halls leading to more obscure areas. The room was incredibly fancy, probably even more so than the king's chambers. It was full of silks and lace, and everything was colorful and almost shiny in a way. But as I learned from my so called 'upgrade' from maidservant to royal chambermaid, the more lavish the area, the more horrifying it actually was.

"Everyone must be in the garden at this moment," the woman told me, ignoring my obvious bewilderment as to what the place was.

"Everyone?" I asked quietly, though I was fairly certain she wasn't going to answer me. She then took me down one of the halls and past several doors, each labeled with numbers, until we reached the door on the end which was the only one not marked. "What's in here?" I asked, though again, didn't expect an answer.

"We have a new one," the woman said to a big burly man who was lounging in there and chewing on a bone of some sort. The man put down his bone, and then began getting stuff together. As I looked around the room, I noticed that it reminded me a lot of an infirmary, which only confused me even more. "No!" the woman shouted, making me jump. "Not one, _three_," she told the man sternly.

"Oh?" the man said surprised, and then turned and resumed whatever he was doing.

I didn't understand what was happening, so I just stood there and waited, but then the man went over to the fireplace and came back with a red hot piece of iron, and walked over to me with it.

"Wait…what are you..?" I asked, but didn't have time to finish my question because the woman covered my mouth with her hand. She pulled down my shirt so that the back of my shoulder was exposed, and then the man restrained me while pressing the hot iron into my skin there. I tried to scream, and I began flailing around uncontrollably from the sheer agony of the burn, but they were too strong. The man quickly removed the iron, but it didn't matter, my skin felt like it was melting off from the intensity of the pain, and then I blacked out.

When I came to, I found myself in a room I had never seen before. It was lush with the finest furniture and linens I had ever seen. The pain on my shoulder was all but gone, and I almost wondered if I had dreamed up the entire thing, or perhaps I was still in the dream.

"Finally," someone said. I looked around and saw Bree Tanner sitting there expectantly. I had only talked to Bree a handful of times before; she was the youngest maidservant I had met, but she never once complained and always wore a happy smile on her face. Her exuberance had been contagious in the past, but right then I was just groggy and baffled by absolutely everything.

"Bree? What's going on, where are we?"

"Only in the best place imaginable! They told me that they were going to bring in others so I wouldn't be fully responsible, but I never thought you'd be one of them. I'm so happy!" she said in a rush. "And let me tell you, all the Twos are pissed."

"Wait, hold on, what's happening?" I asked even more confused than before.

"You don't know?" she asked surprised.

"No."

"We're concubines," she said proudly. "Or at least, we will be when he finally decides to take us."

I stared at her, and slowly shook my head back and forth in denial. "No. No way. I am not a …" I couldn't even bring myself to say it.

"You're really not happy about this? That's so strange. Every girl here chose to be here…well, we were all offered a place or our families chose for us, but you know what I mean. Did your parents sell you without telling you?" she asked concerned. "I thought you came to work at the palace on your own, but maybe your parents had something worked out ahead of the time."

"No. No, this is just…_no_," I said before running out of the room. My head was still foggy from just waking up, and my body was strangely weak and wobbly, but I refused to just sit there and accept my fate. I found my way back into the great room, and then tried to open the door that I remembered being the way we came in.…but it was locked. "How do I get out?" I asked in a panic.

Bree had followed me, but at a slower pace, and then she laughed. "Oh, you can't get out. This is our home now, but there's no leaving."

"Ever?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, not unless we're chosen to go on a trip with the king. But it's not so bad; there's a garden area that's just ours, and we have anything we could possibly want," she explained with a smile.

"All I want is to leave!" I snapped.

"Well, you can't," another woman said from behind us. I turned to see Heidi standing there, and I became even angrier.

"This is what you were talking about when you said that I may not like a promotion?" I spat.

"It's an honor to be in your position, but sometimes when someone is originally from the outside...it can be a little daunting," Heidi explained casually.

"And you? Are you a concubine too, or do you just wish you were?" I asked bitterly.

"I was, but…"

"But what?" I asked because she hesitated.

"But nothing," she said quickly before turning and walking back out of the room. She must have had a key, because she was able to leave without any issues.

"Never mind her, she's just mad because she's a disregarded _One_," Bree said smugly.

"Ok, what's up with the numbers?" I asked confused.

"Oh, we're all grouped that way. See?" she said while turning around and showing me the number threebranded on her shoulder. It looked similar to a cattle brand, and that was when I realized that's exactly what I was burned with before. I pulled down my shirt and stretched my neck around to look over my shoulder, and sure enough, there was a three burned there as well.

"Us Threes have to stick together," Bree said with an innocent smile.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," I said quietly.

"They shoot you up with some kind of pain reliever…after they burn you. I'm not sure why they don't do it before…" she speculated, but then shrugged it off. "You were asleep for two days," she told me unexpectedly, which explained why I felt so weak.

Suddenly there was a bunch of commotion coming from the other end of the room, and then some doors opened and in walked a dozen of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. A few of them looked at me curiously, but most snubbed their nose up and refused to even acknowledge my presence.

"They won't talk to us," Bree explained quietly.

"Why not?" I asked puzzled.

"They're active Ones, so they think that makes them better than us."

"So…they're the king's first choices, or something?" I asked perplexed.

"Well…"

"Your presence has been demanded this evening," the woman who had helped brand me, said.

"No…I won't," I said strongly. "I will never let that monster touch me."

"You don't have a choice," she said evenly. "Come along, we must get you cleaned up and presentable."

"That's Lauren," Bree whispered to me. "She's the boss around here; you better do as she says or she'll get that big guy, Amun…and you definitely don't want her getting Amun."

…

Over the next two hours I was bathed, had my hair and nails done, and then was smothered in more makeup than I had ever seen before. When I was done being made up like the whore they expected me to be, Lauren handed me something. "What is it?" I asked feebly since I doubted any of my questions were going to be answered.

"Put it up inside you. It will prevent you from getting pregnant."

I shook my head, and refused to look at it.

"We can't allow any concubine pregnancies. You should feel lucky; back in my day they used hot pokers to make us sterile."

"I thought the king wanted an heir?" I said mechanically.

"Not one by a concubine," she said with a laugh. "It's all about the breeding and bloodlines…_Though, perhaps that's not as important as it used to be_," she mumbled quietly. "After this month, your menstruation will be charted, that way we will know when you are and aren't at risk for getting pregnant. During those riskier times, you won't be used, but regardless you will always have to insert that. Do you want me to help you put it in this time?"

"I think I can figure it out," I said evenly.

"Okay, but I can't let you go until I know you've put it in," she said impassively.

"Well, don't let me go then," I said stubbornly.

"If I have to get Amun to hold you down while I put it in for you, then we can do that…or perhaps you would prefer the hot poker? Amun does love using those irons," she said coldly.

"Fine," I relented, and then brought the thing back to where I assumed was my room. Nothing had changed from before, I would never let the king take me, but if I was going to be forced, then it was better that I had some sort of protection; the last thing I'd ever want was to risk getting pregnant with that disgusting man's child.

While back in my room, I noticed that all of my things had been brought in from my old room, and although the dagger was gone, I was thankful that they didn't find the poison. I was never more determined then I was in that moment. I was focused, and I wanted nothing more than to kill that demon of a man. I would stop at nothing to complete my mission, and I knew I would not fail. If I had to sell my soul to do it, then so be it.

Carlisle had said it was extremely strong poison, so I took a small amount and dabbed it on my neck, hoping the king would want to kiss me there, and the poison would take over; it was the best plan I could come up with in such a short amount of time. I hid what was left in my shoe, and then went out to be taken to the king.

I was brought to one of the king's rooms, was told to undress and wear nothing but the robe they provided, and then I was left alone to wait for him. I was calm, and despite the fact that I was about to hopefully take someone's life, I felt a sense of relief knowing that there was a possibility it would all finally be over that night. Even if the guards killed me afterwards, it would be worth it.

I sat on the bed to be in position, and I waited for over an hour before the door finally opened. "Edward?" I whispered when he came into view. I seriously thought I was imagining him. Perhaps my mind was projecting his image onto the king's as a means of self-protection.

"Hey," he said quietly. He shut the door behind him, and then walked closer and sat on the bed besides me, before leaning forward and burying his face in his hands.

"Edward," I repeated. I reached out and placed my hand on his back, and the moment we touched I knew he was real. No one else in the world was capable of making my skin tingle from contact the way he did.

"I just don't want to do this," Edward mumbled without lifting his head.

"Do what?" I asked. The entire thing was surreal; Edward was there, just when I needed him the most again. He would save me from the king, I was sure of it. I wanted to climb into his lap and let his warm embrace make all the horror of the situation go away, but I didn't move. There was definitely something terribly off about the entire situation, so I waited for him to explain.

"I don't want to do any of this," he said frustrated as he stood and then began pacing around the room. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Caius was supposed to get married and conceive a legitimate heir…I was supposed to get my freedom. That idiot ruined everything with his recklessness!"

"Freedom? Edward, I'm so confused. Please, just tell me what's going on."

"Caius is dead. He was killed a month ago by rebels, so now the king has turned to me."

"But why would he…"

"He's my father," he said emotionlessly, completely flabbergasting me. After staring blankly at him for an unknown period of time, I tried to force myself to snap out of it. I had to have heard him wrong, or I was seriously misunderstanding.

"You…you said your mother was a chambermaid, and your grandfather was the stable master." I realized right then that he never actually said a word about his father, in fact, he had avoided the topic altogether.

"Everything I told you was true…My grandfather and his family were from Ireland; he was a horse trainer who was given to Aro as a gift from the Irish monarchy. It wasn't long before Aro took a liking to my mother, who was thirteen at the time. He said it was her hair that struck him; it was the color of fire, and he had never seen anything like it. He was obsessed with her…. but she was too young, too frail…her body just wasn't strong enough. She died in childbirth, and they all expected me to die too, but…" He let his sentence trail off.

"When you talked of your mother before, you made it sound like you remembered her?" I questioned.

He shook his head. "I only know the stories my grandfather told me. He and my grandmother were naturally grief stricken, and angry, and went to the king with their grievances. Aro was only a prince then, his father wasn't a much better ruler, but he liked my grandfather, and chose to give me to him as a way to make up for my mother's death. He said he could raise me, but I had to be kept here on palace grounds in case a legitimate heir could not take over the thrown. Caius was born the same year, so my grandfather thought I'd be fine…everyone did."

"And now Caius is dead," I said absently. "So…everyone knows about this?...Everyone except me?" I questioned. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"No one is allowed to talk about it, but everybody pretty much knows; especially the families who've been here since before I was born…. And I didn't tell you, because I didn't think anything would come from it. You hated the king, and I didn't want you hating me because of him," he admitted quietly, and then he took a deep breath. "A few years ago, Aro promised me I could leave once Caius married and had a few sons…but I guess it wasn't meant to be. This is the absolute last thing anyone wanted…I'm nothing more than the bastard son of a servant, but Aro can't conceive anymore children, and I'm all he has left in his bloodline. I don't have a choice…and now, neither do you."

"I don't understand."

"Because of my inferior birth, Aro's father made a law that any woman a royal beds…automatically becomes a concubine."

I was definitely in a state of shock on the matter, but his words ignited a fire in me that couldn't be controlled. "Why?" I shouted at him. "Why did you sleep with me when you knew this would be my fate? You knew how I felt about this; I hated you even joking about it. You did this to me on purpose, and I want to know why!"

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "It wasn't my plan. I never wanted this for you, but then the king saw you that day…and he wanted you. Bella, if I didn't sleep with you, or _'claim'_ you, as he likes to call it, he would have taken you for himself. I knew he'd never bed someone I already had, so…it was him or me."

"What about your other concubine; did you 'claim' her to save her from the king as well?" I asked bitterly, thinking about how Bree was a Three like me, which I then concluded meant that we belonged to him. "She's too young for this, or are you just as sick as your father?"

He stared at me for a moment. "I really have no idea what you're talking about. You're my only concubine that I know of. I told the king that I didn't even want any, which is why he was surprised when I took you."

"This means I'm yours, right?" I asked while showing him the number on my shoulder.

He scrunched his face in a way to convey disgust. "They burned you?"

"Yeah, all of the girls in there have this. I just realized that the Ones are the king's, and the Threes are yours… What are the Twos anyway?"

"I'd assume my brother's," he said quietly while looking closer at my burn.

"Oh," I said just as quiet. Bree did say the Twos were bitter, and I suppose that would make sense since Caius was killed, but if they were forced to be there against their will, I would think they would actually be happy about his death.

As if he could read my mind, Edward said – "None of them are here against their will, Bella. The king pays their families very well, so they're all happy to be here. Since Caius is dead, his concubines aren't needed anymore, so they'll eventually be thrown out. Some may be chosen to stay here to do other jobs, but most will lose everything."

"So why Bree, then? If you didn't choose her, why is she here?"

"Bree tanner?" Edward asked disturbed.

"Yes, she's here and branded with a three just like me."

Edward shook his head. "I have no idea why she was chosen for me or by whom, but just because she's mine, that doesn't mean I have to have sex with her."

"And you won't?" I asked, just to make sure.

"Of course not," he said, offended that I would even ask. "Bree was born here at the palace, I've known her all her life; she's like a little sister to me. The thought of it is nauseating."

"What happened to that woman who arrived with the king? You said she was his new bride and they were going to attempt to conceive a new heir," I asked, trying to fully understand everything.

"I was mistaken…She was brought here to be the next queen, but not by marrying _him_," he said meaningfully.

I nodded in understanding. "So, is that where you've been….on your honeymoon?" I asked sourly while trying to ignore the twisting pain in my stomach.

"No. When I found out that she was intended for me and that I was going to be forced into this position, I became angry. I've been trying to do whatever possible to get out of it, but the king is just becoming increasingly more agitated with me and he's taking away what little choices I have left. I even tried leaving to avoid it, but the guards caught me before I could get out of the gates."

"You were going to run away?" I asked slowly.

"I wanted to take you with me, but I thought it would be too dangerous. I thought if I could just get away from the palace, I could find a way to send someone back for you."

"So, you wanted me with you?" I asked a little calmer.

"Of course I did. I absolutely hated the thought of leaving you behind, even temporarily."

"And…you're not married yet?" I despised everything about the situation, but if he was married when we made love it would have been that much worse. I didn't believe in adultery, even for a member of the monarchy, which was one of the main reasons why I hated concubines.

"The crowning ceremony is next week, and the wedding will take place next month," he explained solemnly.

"So, what? I'm just supposed to be your whore for the rest of my life?" I asked hopelessly.

"Concubines usually only last about five years," he told me absently, as if he was almost trained to respond that way.

"And then what happens?" I asked skeptically.

He shrugged. "They're either set free, or given some other job around the palace if they're worthy enough and wish to stay." Then he grabbed my hands and looked at me intensely in the eyes. "But, you won't have to leave. I'll always keep you here," he said softly, as if that notion was supposed to bring me peace.

"Edward, I can't stay here. I need to leave, I have…"

"You have what?" he cut me off. His tone suddenly changed into a sharper, more rigid one. "You said you don't have any family left. You said you were raised on your grandmother's farm because all of your other family was gone. You said after she died you had nobody."

"I remember what I said," I told him coldly, in response to his severe change in mood.

"So, it was a lie?" he challenged.

"No," I lied. "But that doesn't mean that I don't have hopes for my future, and I certainly don't want to be a concubine for the rest of my life."

"Well, in about five years you can still do whatever it is you wanted to do," he said bitterly, and then he abruptly began pacing the room again. He was obviously irritated by my reaction to the entire thing, so he changed his tactic. "This won't be as bad as you're thinking. You'll be protected here; no one would ever dare to touch you now, not even the king. You're safe…and we can still be together. Don't you see? This can actually be a good thing."

I just stared at him incredulously for a moment. He was actually making light of the fact that I was a prisoner there and nothing more than a sex object for him, which really pissed me off.

"A good thing? There is no way this could ever be a good thing!"

"This is the only way we can stay together," he said frustrated.

"We're not together. You're getting married to someone else; you're going to have children and a life outside of here. I lost everything. Do you really think that being here just to be with you occasionally could ever be enough for me? To know that you're with someone else; making love to her, and having a life with her, and only coming back to me when you feel like having a good fuck… Do you really think that I could ever be happy like that?"

"And do you think I chose this?" he retorted heatedly. "I wanted to be with you. I prayed every day that the Caius would have a son so we could be free to leave together. I begged Aro to let me go, but he wouldn't. I'm forced to be here just as much as you are, but I'm handling it because I know I'll still get to see you. I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't be with you anymore."

"Maybe it would have been better that way," I said slowly.

"You still wouldn't have been free, Bella. The king would have taken you for himself, at least this way…"

"It would have been better," I insisted. I didn't mean to sound uncaring or spiteful, but it wasn't a lie; in that moment I wished I was the king's. I wished the king had come into the room that night, and I was able to miraculously overpower him. Even if I failed and was forced to live as nothing more than the king's meaningless concubine for the rest of my life, a part of me would have still preferred that. To be so close to the man I loved, and yet never able to truly share a life with him; to be forced to sit by and watch while he married someone else…it was going to be pure torture.

But I couldn't tell him about my assassination plan, so I couldn't explain the meaning of my statement…and apparently he took it completely wrong. He stared at me with uncharacteristic anger in his eyes, and in that moment, I felt like I didn't know him at all.

"You're right, maybe it would have been better if you were his," he said evenly after a few tense moments. "I wouldn't have been pissed and argued when I was told to marry a beautiful woman. I would have been free to pick whatever concubines I wanted, and not given a shit about how you felt about it.….Maybe that's what I'll still do, I really don't need to limit myself to you….You can go back to your room now."

"That's it? I'm excused?" I asked exasperated.

"Oh I'm sorry, did you want to fuck first?" he replied mockingly. I most certainly did not want to 'fuck'. I didn't want this Edward anywhere near me, so I turned my head, and refused to respond. "I didn't think so," he said coldly, and then he left the room.

He had taken my comment tragically wrong, and that was my fault, but his response was unbelievably cruel and heartless. The Edward I thought I knew would have never said those things to me; the Edward I loved wasn't there anymore, he disappeared right in front of my eyes and in his place was something cold and empty, just like his father.

I sat there alone for a while, stunned by everything that had happened. Edward wasn't the man I thought he was, at least not anymore, in fact, he was the exact opposite…so I did everything I possibly could to be strong and bury the emotions I had for him. We would never be together, not really anyway, and I needed time to consider what I was going to do next.

I was a member of the Cullens, and our goal was to eradicate the monarchy; Edward was now the heir to that monarchy, did that mean Edward was my enemy? Would the Cullens try to kill him along with the king? But I already knew the answer to that, of course they would. My only question left was what I was willing to do to help them succeed. I would eventually find a way out of the palace, that I was sure of, but could I continue help the Cullens? I lifted my hand to my neck, and remembered the poison. If I really tried, I probably could have gotten Edward to kiss me there; I could have killed him. It would have been a huge blow for the king and made him weaker, but…..

I ran to the adjoining washroom, and vomited violently from the thought.


	8. Numb

Chapter VIII – _Numb_

"What was he like? Is he as handsome as they all say he is?" Bree asked excitedly when I came back from my time with Edward.

"Bree, you do know the new heir is Edward, right?" I said slowly.

"Edward the stable boy?" she asked confused.

"Yeah, he's the king's illegitimate son. How did you know Caius died, but you didn't know Edward was the new heir?" I asked baffled. I guess not everyone had known the truth about him after all.

She took a minute to let it all sink in, and then her smile grew - _it actually grew_. "Well this is perfect then. Edward is super sweet, and I'm sure he's going to take really good care of us."

I rolled my eyes at her continued enthusiasm. "Trust me, this isn't something you should be happy about." She had no idea what she was anxiously anticipating, and I really thought it was best for her to calm herself.

"Oh…did it hurt?" she asked nervously. "I heard the other girls talking about how it hurts the first time. Was it really bad?"

"No… Yes…Wait, that's not what I'm talking about. I just wish you understood that being a concubine isn't such a great thing."

She thought about it for a moment, and then she sighed. "So, it hurt really bad then," she concluded.

I just shook my head at her. There really wasn't a point in trying to convince her anyway; Edward assured me that he wouldn't touch her…but then again, I hardly knew Edward anymore, and he could have been lying or even changed his mind after our quarrel. - _I didn't really believe that, not really_. Edward was upset from what I said, and I had to believe that he lashed out as a response. Despite his lineage, Edward was a good person; I knew that deep in my heart, or at least I thought I did….

Over the next four days, new girls started appearing in Room C, all of which were being branded with a three.

"Wow, the king is really trying to show his son the good life," I overheard one of the One's say when the fifth new girl was being escorted into the room.

"Well, I will say one thing, I'm sure the heir has more stamina than his father. Last time I was with the king, he nearly fell asleep in the middle of it," another One replied.

"Young, robust, stamina; wouldn't that be nice for a change?" the other One said, before turning to me. "Girl, count your blessings."

Life in Room C was very slow, and very dull. Even though we had an overabundance of lavish things, none of it really mattered when freedom was not amongst those possessions. The garden was beautiful, but it was surrounded by a massive brick wall, which made even seeing beyond it impossible. We had an endless supply of books, which was nice, but still, I yearned for a way out. Occasionally, I could hear the horses neighing, and I wished I was still able to ride them – _although, I wondered if that desire was based on the horses, or the real time I had spent with Edward_.

Since that first day, Edward had yet to 'request' me, and even though none of the other Threes were requested either, I wondered if he ever would want me again. With so many girls, he would have no need for me, especially if he thought we'd just end up fighting again. I had no idea how I felt about it; I was so angry and hurt by his comments that a part of me was glad he had others, but really, the last thing I ever wanted was to share him.

…

After lunch one afternoon, I went back to my room to see the fanciest gown I had ever seen lying on my bed. "What's this for?"

"The crowning ceremony is tonight," Bree said while coming into the room wearing a huge grin on her face. "I have a dress too. It's going to be so amazing."

"Crowning ceremony? I thought the king didn't lose his crown until he was dead?" I asked confused.

"No, it's to officially name the heir to the throne. After tonight, Edward will be the crowned prince," she said with reverence.

"So, we really get to go to the ceremony?" I asked, thinking it was odd that they would allow us out of Room C for such an event.

"There's a balcony that we can sit on to watch, but we aren't allowed to make any noise, and we don't get to go to the party afterwards. But I'm just happy we get to dress up," she explained.

"How do you know so much about all of this?" I asked baffled.

"My older sister was a Two. She wrote to me about what they got to do back when their prince was crowned….that, and Heidi actually likes me enough to tell me things like that."

"And, where's your sister now?" I asked her.

"Oh…She was one of the prince's favorites, and she was traveling with him when he was killed…she died too."

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"It was hard on my parents, but they were so excited when the king picked me to become a Three."

I couldn't imagine parents actually being happy about such a thing, but perhaps Heidi and Edward were right, perhaps the people of Volterra saw things differently. In such desperate times, I guess the parents actually believed they were helping their daughters by selling them to the king. It was still hard for me to stomach though.

Once again, I was primped to be made more presentable. We were always supposed to stay clean and pretty so at a moment's notice we could be ready to 'work', but I had a hard time keeping up. Most of the girls knew how to do their own hair and makeup because it was in their best interest to be well liked by the king, but I was completely different. I was raised mostly by my grandmother who needed a boy to work the farm much more than she needed me. I was never taught the way to be feminine, and I struggled terribly, so anytime I was 'requested' or had any other reason to be dressed properly, I would be done up by Lauren and some of the other girls, and I suppose that evening was one of those occasions.

"For the life of me, I don't understand why you were picked to be a concubine," Lauren said rudely as she was doing my hair. "Your features are just so unremarkable, and you hair is constantly in a state of matted mess."

"Uh…thanks," I said, refusing to let her get to me. Lauren was always mean and bitter to everyone, so I'd probably be more concerned if she was actually nice to me.

After I was done getting ready, I basically had to just sit as still as possible so I didn't mess anything up, until everyone else was ready as well. Everyone looked like high society women of nobility, everyone except for Bree; she was far too young for the dress and makeup they had her in.

"Look at my boobs, aren't they great?" she said ecstatically when she was finished. Her cleavage was far too big to be real.

"What do you have in there?" I asked knowingly.

"Just a little pillow stuffing," she said defensively. "If Edward is ever going to want me, then he'll have to take notice of me first."

Again, I didn't even try to tell her how silly she was being.

We were led to a massive throne room, where we were positioned on a balcony. The room below us was full of spectators that seemed to have come from all over the world to witness the event. There was music of some kind playing softly, and then the ceremony began. I had never seen anything like it. The closest thing I could compare it to was the most elaborate wedding I could ever imagine, except it wasn't a man and woman getting married, it was a man to a throne.

When Edward walked into view, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. It was a bittersweet moment because he was nothing like the loose carefree guy I knew, but there was a certain beauty in that version of him as well. He was clean, and stiff with perfect posture as he walked to the altar where he would be crowned. He still had that inhumanly striking face that no one else could ever measure up to, in fact, he seemed more statue than man; cold and emotionless, but beautiful just the same in all his glory.

"What's wrong?" Bree whispered to me. It wasn't until she asked that I noticed the wetness on my face. I was crying, and I wasn't sure why.

"Nothing; everything is fine," I said with a shaky voice. It was virtually silent in the room as the priest affirmed Edward, and then he was sprinkled with holy water, thus baptizing him as the new 'legitimate' crowned prince of Volterra. There was chanting, and more group prayer, and then the symbolic crown was brought out and placed on Edward's head by the king. The priest gave him his final blessing, and then he stood.

"His highness, Prince Edward the First, heir to the Volterrian thrown" the priest announced, and everyone cheered.

The king placed his hand on Edward's shoulder and looked upon their guests arrogantly, as if he had just insured their future rule and there was nothing anyone could do about it…but he was wrong. Because of his bloodline, Edward would be protected by a strong army, but he'd also be hunted just as much; being a Cullen myself, I knew that to be fact better than anyone.

That was it…that was the moment I really understood that there was no going back. I already knew that, of course, but that was when it really sank in. Edward would live and die in that position. He'd never be just Edward the stable boy anymore; he was a prince, and if he lived long enough, someday a king.

Unexpectedly and very deliberately, Edward looked up to where we were, and locked eyes with me for a brief but endless moment. I was frozen in his stare; locked somewhere between where we were currently, and where we used to be. There was no way I would have been able to break that connection, but thankfully, Edward finally looked away. A fair haired woman walked gracefully over to him, and placed her hand through his arm before kissing his cheek. My initial reaction was wanting to jump off the balcony and ring her scrawny neck, but that feeling only lasted for a moment, because I quickly remembered who she was…his fiancée.

I really needed to get a hold of my feelings for him. I couldn't love him and hate him at the same time, but more importantly, I didn't have a right to be jealous of anyone. I was nothing more than a concubine, just one of many, and that wasn't going to change.

When the ceremony was over, we were all escorted back to Room C, but I wasn't allowed to stay there long. "Don't even bother undressing here; you're working tonight," Lauren came in and informed me.

I felt a sudden pain in my stomach after that, and I was worried about what it meant. Was I dreading seeing Edward again, or thrilled? Did he just want to talk like last time, or was he really going to expect me to 'work'? I had a million things running through my mind, but before I knew it, Lauren had returned to bring me to him.

I was led back to the same room I was in last time, and like before I was given a robe and instructed to undress. I only had to wait for about ten minutes before he came into the room. He looked at me, and I looked back. He was still wearing his suit from the ceremony, but the tie was gone and the top buttons of his shirt were unfastened. I felt like he was waiting for me to say something, but I just had no idea what. Did he want me to congratulate him on being crowned, or perhaps apologize for my words the last time we were together? I just didn't know.

I never saw him move, but the next thing I knew, he had crossed the room and grabbed me into his arms. That's when I realized that he wasn't expecting me to say anything; he just wanted sex, and that was my job. His lips were pressed firmly on mine, and it didn't even seem to matter that I wasn't kissing him back, I doubted he even noticed. He kissed me harder and held me tighter, and then he began untying my robe. I didn't resist, or urge him to continue; I just stood there and let me do what he wanted to me.

I didn't think he noticed my lack of enthusiasm, or at least he didn't seem to care, but then - "Kiss me!" he demanded.

"What if I don't?" I asked defiantly.

"You will," he said determinedly, before completely changing his demeanor. He opened my robe, and very slowly let his hands gently caress up the length of my naked body. His lips moved to my neck, and then my heart just about leapt out of my chest. The poison was long washed away, but the thought of him kissing me there, which would have surely killed him had it been the last time, really changed something within me. The thought of him being dead, of him being taken from me permanently, actually made my entire body grieve the imagined loss. He was right, I was going to kiss him; I wanted to kiss every part of him and hold on to him until they pried me off.

I tangled his hair in my fingers, and brought his face back to mine. We kissed desperately, and I pressed my bare body into him as closely as it would go. His tongue entered my mouth, and I welcomed it; his hands searched to touch every inch of me, and I only wished I had more for him to touch. I pushed his coat off his shoulders and began undoing the buttons, but our lips never broke apart. When he was as free of his clothes as I was, we found our way to the bed and he climbed over me. He didn't hesitate when he thrust into me, and he wasn't gentle the way he was the first time…but I didn't want him to be either.

He pounded into me with ferocity, and I never wanted it to end. Just like I predicted, he came to me for a good hard fuck, and while it was happening, I couldn't bring myself to be upset about it. He went even harder as he neared climax, but before I could lose all control, he slowed to prolong the feeling. It continued like that, fast then slow, hard and gentle, until I just had no strength left to hang on. My body tensed around him, and he definitely felt it.

"Gah," he grunted from the feeling, and then he released as well, but continued to rock slowly as he emptied into me. He rested his head against mine, and just stayed inside me for a while longer before finally pulling out. He laid on his back for a few minutes, but then he rolled over and got up.

I didn't want to watch him get dressed, so I just stayed there and closed my eyes wishing he would come back and lay with me, but even without hearing him leave, I knew he was already gone.

I wanted to cry, but I was stubborn and refused to allow it. After taking some time to pull myself together, I dressed and then went back to Room C.

"I suppose you're not going to tell me anything," Bree said the moment she saw me. I didn't respond, I just went to my room and shut her out. I went to bed and tried like hell to sleep, but it was next to impossible, however I didn't want to think about him either, so I tried to think of anything else.

My mind replayed a different time, a happier time, long before I ever had thoughts of conspiracy. I thought about my brother, and the way he would laugh. He had the most infectious laugh I ever heard, and I wished more than anything to hear it again. I thought of my dad too, and hoped he would someday find happiness and remarry. But thinking about my family only made everything worse. What would they do if they knew I had allowed this? If Emmett was alive, he probably would have told me it was better to die then let the heir to the Volterrian throne bed me. Was I truly nothing more than a whore now? Even if I could find a way to escape, how would I ever live with myself after what I had done?

The sky was dark out, but then it was light. I stayed awake in my bed the entire night, but when morning came, I still didn't move. I vaguely heard knocking at my door, but I assumed it was Bree and ignored it. I wasn't the only other Three anymore, so she really just needed to go follow around one of the others because I didn't have it in me anymore. I just wanted to be left alone. I probably would have stayed there for the rest of my life, just like that, completely numb and lying in bed awake, but the banging on my door got louder, and then it slammed open. There weren't locks on the door but I had propped a chair up against the handle so no one could come in, but Lauren had enlisted the help of the brute Amun; I just really hoped he didn't have a hot poker with him…or maybe I wouldn't have cared about that either.

"What are you doing?" Lauren yelled at me.

"Sleeping," I answered while covering my head with the pillow.

"Are you ill?" she asked angrily.

"No," I sat up, but then the pounding in my head made me think otherwise. "Yes," I said before lying back down.

"Well, you don't have time to be ill." She walked over to me and felt my forehead, and must have determined that I was fine, so she began opening the window draperies. "You must have made quite the impression on our young prince because he has requested you again….That almost never happens with the royals."

"And why's that?" I asked absently while trying to comprehend the fact that I would have to have sex with Edward again that evening.

"When a man has his choice of all the most beautiful women in the world, why would he choose the same one two nights in a row?"

"I guess I'm just that good," I said emotionlessly.

"Well, that remains to be seen, but I'll warn you, the more he beds you, the less time you'll end up staying here. Men are all the same deep down, they all get bored."

"I'll keep that in mind…but obviously, it's not my choice," I said resentfully.

I got up, bathed, ate, and had my hair done, but when it came to my makeup, Lauren stepped in again. "No, he wants her with none," she said to Maggie, one of the older Ones who was just about to apply some rouge on me.

"No makeup?" Maggie asked surprised. She looked at my face, and made a disgusted expression, but shrugged it off.

Once again, I was brought to the royal room and told to undress. I put on the robe, and waited calmly for Edward to arrive. It was odd, like I was still in a mental fog and I couldn't even focus on what was about to happen. Perhaps it was a self-protection mechanism, but whatever it was, I was thankful for it. I didn't want to feel…or think…or even really see anything. So I didn't. I just turned off all those emotions and waited.

He came in, but this time he didn't stop and stare at me. He just came right over and pulled down my robe….

It continued on that way over and over again. The sun would rise and set, but I didn't keep track of the number of times it did so. Every night I was 'requested', although it wasn't a request whatsoever. Royalty never requested anything, they only made demands and Edward was no different. He never spoke to me, and I never spoke to him. It was just sex. That's all I was, and that's all I would ever be as long as I stayed there.

Since Edward claimed me, I didn't have access to the king anymore , so killing him was impossible; I had failed at my mission in the worst possible way, and the consequence for that failure was a life sentence as a meaningless whore. I had no choice but to accept my fate, and after a while, the shame I felt had melted away, and I returned to walking through my hollow existence feeling completely numb.

But like all the other life changing events that occurred since arriving at the palace, I was about to be thrown another loop at the most unexpected of times…

It was a typical early evening, and I headed into the powder room to get ready for my nightly time with Edward, when I saw that Lauren was busy working on primping a new girl….a new girl with long brown hair, and a face that looked a lot like mine.

"You could be twins, no?" Lauren said with a laugh.

"She was…._requested_ tonight?" I asked slowly, unsure if I was actually upset about it or just surprised by the abrupt change.

"Yes, she was…but she's not nervous the way you were your first time…Right, Elena?" she asked the girl.

"I'm very excited," Elena replied indifferently.

I just didn't understand it. What was the purpose of getting a new girl who looked so much like me? Perhaps Edward was bored and ready for the newer model. It made my stomach twist painfully, but I fought away the feeling because being numb was really the only way to survive there.

"It seems you have made an impression on both the prince and the king," Lauren then said to me.

"What do you mean?"

"The king hasn't picked a new concubine for himself in a while, but it appears he went on a hunt for a woman to look as much like you as possible. He found this one all the way in the southern village."

A baffling wave of relief washed over me from learning that the girl was the king's instead of Edward's, but like before, I shook it away.

"So…I still have to work today?" I asked slowly.

"The prince has requested that you come to his chamber every night, so until he tells me otherwise you will go to him," Lauren said sternly.

I sighed. "Yes, ma'am." I looked in the mirror and attempted to brush out my own hair, but I quickly gave up. "This is useless," I said before throwing down the brush.

"Where are you going?" Lauren asked as I headed for the door, "Just wait. I can do yours as soon as I'm done here."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't really think Edward cares what my hair looks like anyway," I said evenly.

Because I didn't have to take that hour prepping like I usually did, I used that extra time to go out to the garden for some fresh air, and that's when it happened….

"Bella?" I heard a hushed voice say from somewhere in the darkness.

I turned to the sound of my name, and was absolutely flabbergasted. "Jacob?"

Jacob Black was a childhood friend of mine, who grew up in the farm next to my grandmother's. He and his father always tried to help us out whenever possible, and they certainly saved us during several grueling winters, so we were always fairly close. At times I considered Jacob more of a brother than my own brother, and under different circumstances I would have definitely been excited to see him. As it was, however, I was just shocked and confused.

"Shhh!" he hushed me before grabbing my hand and pulling me back under the cover of the bushes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked him when I was sure we were completely alone.

"Me? I should ask you the same question…" He looked me up and down, and even though I was fully clothed, I felt naked under his scrutiny. "What happened to being a maidservant?"

"I…We…" I had no answer, so I turned the questioning back around on him. "How did you know I was here, and even more importantly, how did you get in here yourself?"

"I work here as a groundskeeper. I was just hired a few weeks ago and I've been looking everywhere for you…but I guess now I can see why I couldn't find you."

It was obvious by my outfit that I was indeed a concubine, and it was even more obvious that he was horrified by it.

"Don't!" I whispered yelled. "Don't stand there and judge me! I didn't choose this."

"Really? Because I've met a lot of Cullens over the past few months, and I'd say every one of them was willing to do absolutely anything to take down the king…Including…_this_," he said while gesturing to my dress.

"I didn't choose this, or ask for it…I didn't have a choice."

"I'm not judging; I'm just worried, that's all. Just give me a couple days to figure out how I'm going to get you out of here."

"So…how did you find out about the Cullens?" I asked curiously and strangely nervous. Though I had known Jacob all of my life, he was never aware of my father's secret organization, so I didn't understand how he got involved.

Thankfully, he explained - "The Cullens have been recruiting big time, and when I went to your dad's to ask where you went, he told me everything and let me join their ranks. It was a good thing I got involved too, because I was just about the only one left that they could fully trust who's not on the king's blood list."

"So…what's your mission?" I asked warily.

"Well, to find you and bring you home, of course. Charles was starting to worry something happened to you…I guess he was right."

"My father let you risk your life just to recue me?" I asked skeptically. "I could have been dead, for all he knew. My dad doesn't usually take risks like that."

"Well, to be honest, finding you could make all the difference."

"How?" I asked confused.

"We're strategizing an attack on the palace, so apart from wanting to get you out before that happens, we also thought you could make us maps and such."

"Maps?"

"Yeah, you were a maid, right? You should know the palace layout more than anyone. If you show us the best passages to take to get to the king, we won't be wasting time trying to find our own way. It could make all the difference. Quickly in, quickly out."

"How are they planning to even get inside the palace gates?" I asked slowly.

"I'm going to let them in. Once I work here in the smaller gardens long enough, I'll get promoted to the large garden right by the gate. All I have to do is take out the guards there when the time is right, then let them all in."

"So…you get the Cullens in, and then they basically charge the castle hoping to get to the king before his guards realize what's happening?"

"Oh, they'll know. It's going to be a huge attack. Bella, you have no idea how many people we have on our side now. This is going to be a full on battle. The king's guards will certainly take him and the new heir into the most secure part of the palace, which is why we're hoping you might have some kind of clue where that is."

"So…the prince is part of their assassination plans?" I asked absently.

"Of course. We need to take out the monarchy. We thought we had the advantage when our forces killed Caius, but I suppose we overestimated Aro's arrogance. We never thought he would have lowered himself by bedding the help," he said with a snicker. "His bastard prince may have come from humble beginnings, but he's still Aro's blood, and just as dangerous."

"Maybe he would be a better king," I said feebly.

Jake laughed. "No son of Aro's could ever be better at anything….Look, it may be a while before the actual attack is implemented, there's still a lot of planning left to do, but I'm going to get you out now. Just give me a few days to figure it out, and I'll get you home," he tried assuring me.

"I'm a concubine, Jake…there's no going anywhere for me, not without the king's permission."

"I'll figure it out," he repeated unconcerned. "Just give me a couple days and you'll be back with your father again."

"Wait, Jake," I stopped him before he could leave.

"Yeah?"

"Any news on Emmett?" I asked quietly. I really didn't have any hope on the matter, but I had to ask regardless.

"No…Nobody knows anything. It doesn't look good, Bells."

I nodded in understanding.

Jacob disappeared into the dark foliage of the garden, and I was finally able to relax a fractional amount. I didn't realize just how tense his presence there made me, but I was definitely relieved when he was able to make it out undetected.

"Bella, are you out there?" I heard Lauren call.

"Yeah, I'm coming," I called back, knowing all too well that it was time to get to Edward.

Perhaps it was knowing that the palace would eventually be attacked and Edward had a huge target on his back, but that evening I couldn't force myself back into that numbing daze I had survived in for the past few weeks. I was fully focused, and as I sat on the bed waiting for him wearing nothing but a robe, my body was trembling uncontrollably.

When he came in, his face was unrecognizable to me, completely set in a hard mask, and for the first time I could see a physical resemblance between him and the king. But then our eyes locked, and his face unexpectedly softened.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked full of concern, and just like that, he melted into my Edward again.

"Nothing," I said weakly.

"Are you ok?" he murmured.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I replied unconvincingly, and then he did something I wasn't expecting - he sat down next to me, wrapped his arms around me securely, and just held me. Everything else disappeared in that moment; he was really there with me…just like he was in the beginning….and I really needed him.

I broke down and started crying like an insane person, but he didn't call me crazy like he probably should have. He just held me all night, and when I woke the next morning, he was still there.

"You're here," I said quietly when I opened my eyes to see him watching me.

"Yeah…I have the day off," he said gently.

"Really? No dragons to slay or maidens to rescue?" I mumbled jokingly.

"Not today," he said heavy-heartedly. He lifted his hand to my face, and gently caressed my cheek. It was an unspoken apology for his past behavior towards me, but it was enough. I could see it in his eyes, and feel it in his touch, and that's all I really needed from him.

He pressed his forehead to mine, and then we both moved so he could get on top of me. This time the sex was different. It wasn't emotionless or distant… it was sweet; more like our first time had been, and I cherished every second of it. We spent that entire day together, just lying in bed and making love over and over. We didn't speak much, but it was probably better that way; there was nothing he could tell me to make the situation right.

When the next morning came, it was time to return to our lives as a prince and his concubine.

"I want to make this better for you," he whispered before he had to get up.

"It can't be better," I replied softly.

"The king's been keeping me busy lately, but as soon as things settle down, I'll take you somewhere."

"Where?" I asked solemnly.

"I don't know…to the coast estate or something. We'll stay there for a few months even. With being away from the king, we'll be able to spend all of our time together. No more of this stupid night only shit. You will never truly understand how much I miss you during the day."

"What about your wife?" I asked bitterly. I knew they hadn't married yet, but by the time we ever got to go anywhere like he was suggesting, he'd definitely be married and that would always be an issue for me.

He tightened his embrace on me, and then kissed my shoulder. "It's not like that," he said quietly. "She's just basically going to be for show…I love_ you_," he said intensely, taking me completely aback. Even though I was sure he had felt it at one time, he never said it out loud, and I never thought he would.

"Bella, I can't be what you need me to be, but I will do anything else in my power to make you as happy as you possibly can be," he said with conviction.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, assumedly signaling Edward's time to leave for the day, so we both sighed as a response. "You'll see; everything will be better. I promise," he tried assuring me.

He kissed me gently, and then got up to get dressed. I watched him this time, and ached for him more than I ever had, but before he left, I couldn't help but tell him something first. "Edward." His hand was already on the door, but he paused and turned back to me. "I love you, too," I said no louder than a whisper, but thankfully, he heard me.

He smiled crookedly, and then he was gone….and I was left feeling sicker than ever. I hated myself for loving him, and I hated myself even more for ever conspiring against him. It was an impossible situation, but it was one I had to figure out before it was too late…


	9. Sacrifice

Chapter IX – _Sacrifice_

I was so confused, and it was literally making me sick. Right when I was resolved to find a way out and help the Cullens, I fell in love with Edward all over again. I never stopped loving him, but I think I may have forgotten along the way. It was just too emotionally stagnant for too long, but right when I needed him most, he always seemed to be there, and I could never do anything to potentially hurt him.

I went back to Room C and locked myself inside my room, and just really contemplated my life. What could I handle, and what couldn't I live without? I started thinking about my life back at the farm and what I really wanted for my future, but then I thought of the alternative – the life Edward had planned for us. I would never be free, I would never be his wife, I would never have his children…but maybe I was ok with that; maybe if he could take me away and we could just be together as much as possible, maybe that was all I really needed. Maybe…

That day was filled of contemplative _What Ifs_, but when it was time for me to get ready for my nightly Edward time, I was shocked to learn I wouldn't be meeting him that particular evening, and even more shocked to discover the reason why.

"What's going on?" I asked when I noticed all the commotion.

"There was an attack," Bree said nervously.

"What? How? Where?" I asked terrified. I couldn't even think about Edward being hurt, it was just too painful.

"It wasn't on the actual palace, but on the gate. The king and prince are going to be taken to a different location until the rioters stop," one of the Ones said unfazed.

"Wait, it was rioters?" I asked feeling a minute measure of relief that the Cullens weren't responsible that time.

"They have done this in the past. It's really not a big deal, but the guards still go into full protection mode and take the monarchy into hiding," the One explained casually.

"What about us?" Bree asked terrified.

"The rioters will never get in here, we'll be fine," the One said irritated by Bree's fear.

"It's ok," I whispered to her while wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

"I'm scared, Bella. What if the rioters do get in here?" Bree whispered to me.

"Everything will be fine," I tried assuring her.

"Everyone go to your rooms, and blow out the lamps!" Lauren commanded, so everyone took off running towards their individual rooms.

When I got to mine, however, someone was already in there. "Get what you need, and let's go quickly," a woman said. I recognized the voice, but I couldn't place it and it was too dark in the room to see her.

"Who are you?" I asked in the darkness.

"A friend," she said before lighting the lamp, but turning it down so it was no more than a glow.

"Heidi" I asked confused as the light danced on her flawless features.

"We must hurry if we're going to get out in time," she said while peeking out the window. "You did say you wanted out of here, right?"

"Yeah, but…Heidi?" I asked again, still puzzled as to why she was actually trying to help me leave.

"My real name is Rosalie," she said unexpectedly.

I stared at her completely shocked. "You're name is…"

"Rosalie."

"But you said your name was Heidi?"

"I gave a false name when I came here."

"You're a Cullen?" I stated as understanding washed over me.

"A Cullen? Not exactly."

"Ok, what exactly is going on?" I asked, tired of guessing.

"All you need to know is that this is our best chance of leaving," she said cryptically.

"No, I _need_ to know what's going on," I reiterated sternly.

She stared at me for a moment, and then she huffed and began to explain. - "The riots are a diversion to get the guards to take the king and prince away, so we can all escape."

"And who's 'we' exactly?" I asked suspiciously. I knew there were other rebel groups out there besides Cullen, but I had no idea which she was from. Some were more dangerously radical than others, so I was wary about trusting anyone I didn't know.

She huffed irritated. "My sister worked here about eight years ago as a seamstress, but then one day she disappeared. I got a job here hoping to find her, but what I found was a disgusting king that killed without mercy and treated the people here like possessions. By chance I met someone here who was working to gain information about the king, and he enlisted my help. I've been here for a long time with no way out, but now the group I'm with has partnered with a bunch of other groups and they finally have a plan, so we need to get out while we can."

"An attack on the palace," I assumed.

"Yes, how did you know? It won't be for a while still, but if we don't get out now we may never have another chance."

"What group are you with?" I asked again.

She sighed. "The Denalis."

I nodded. I knew of the Denalis, and they were definitely friendly with the Cullens, but she obviously didn't know of my affiliation with them so I had to ask - "Why…why are you telling me all this? How do you know you can trust me?"

"I don't know I can trust you, but I knew you wanted out, and I couldn't leave you here with a clear conscience, especially not now," she said strangely.

"Not now? Why, what does that mean?" I asked confused yet again.

"Lauren knows…She's was planning to go to the king tonight with it, but thankfully for you, the riot happened tonight."

"Lauren knows what?" I asked skeptically. How could Lauren possibly know anything about me?

"We really don't have time for this, we must go," she said anxiously while looking out the window again.

"Heidi – Rosalie, please, I need to know?" I asked desperately.

She let out another irritated sigh, but then started explaining again. "Part of Lauren's job is to track menstruation…You've been here longer than a month, and yet, you haven't gotten one."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What are you saying?" I asked, refusing to believe the obvious.

"You are pregnant," she stated.

I shook my head slowly. "No…no, I can't be. I've always inserted that thing into me; that means I can't be pregnant," I said evenly.

"And you have not let anyone else bed you…No servant, or groundskeeper?"

"How could I have been with anyone else when we're kept in here like prisoners?"

"How about _before_ you were a concubine?"

I scowled at the notion, but then I remembered that one time I was with a certain stable boy….

Rosalie saw the realization on my face, and then nodded. "That is why I knew I had to take you with me. A pregnant concubine can only mean death."

"Why?" I asked as my heart leapt out of my chest.

"Bella, think about it, the king insists all concubines insert those thingies, so if you're pregnant then he'll automatically assume you found a way to bed someone else…and that's unacceptable to him."

"But what if…what if it turned out that this was the prince's baby?" I asked carefully, not wanting her to really know the truth just in case she went to the Denali's with that information.

"They'll know it's not. The timing…"

"But what if it was?" I asked again.

"Well, if for some reason you got pregnant by the prince, and they were sure it was the prince's child, they would probably lock you away until the child was born, and then kill you anyway."

"What, why?"

"Because you would have failed at your job to not get pregnant, and they would never want a concubine raising a child of royal blood anyway. They'd keep the child safe for insurance purposes, as they did with Edward, but he'd remain a bastard orphan unless a proper heir could not be crowned. But you don't have to worry about that, because this is not the prince's child, right? Unless…unless you slept with the prince before you were a concubine."

"That's ridiculous," I lied unconvincingly. "I was just wondering."

"We don't have time for any more wondering, we must be going now before it's too late. This is your only chance at survival. Whether you're carrying a baby of royal blood or not, you're days are numbered if you stay here," she said to me intensely. "Lauren knows you're pregnant. She's going to go straight to the king in the morning."

"What will they do when they find out we're gone?"

"They'll send out search parties, of course. They will hunt us…especially you, due to your condition and assumed betrayal; they won't stop until you're dead. Now, let's go!"

It seemed I didn't have a choice, so I followed her in complete shock. How could it all be happening? Edward and I were finally back in a tolerable place, and now I'd never see him again and he'd never know I had his child. It was heartbreaking. Even without the pregnancy, I wouldn't have a life if I stayed…but as I was moving farther and farther away from that meaningless existence, my chest began to throb painfully.

"Wait….I'm not leaving," I told Rosalie abruptly, surprising us both.

"What? Don't you understand, you will die if you stay here!" she said intensely.

"Edward won't let that happen," I said as a sudden wave of confidence washed over me. Edward had always protected me, and I had to believe he always would.

Rosalie laughed once without humor. "Please don't tell me you think that prince will protect you from his father? Bella, they are all the same; he'll follow the king, and never think twice about it."

"You don't know him," I said strongly.

"And you do? You think that just because he picks you to bed every night that he actually has feelings for you? Men and their sexual desires are baffling things, but that doesn't mean he has emotions to go with them. You probably just do something he likes, but when he gets bored, and I'm sure he will, you'll be nothing more than any of the rest of them," she said harshly. Even as she was saying the words, it didn't feel like she was trying to put me down, it was more like she was trying to make me see reason.

"I can't leave," I said again, but my resolve was definitely faltering.

"Let me guess, you love him, right? Bella this is your life we're talking about, your baby's life. The king will always be the king, and even if the prince really loved you, he's powerless against his father." She took a deep breath as the noise from the rioters grew outside. "I can't wait anymore. Come and live, or stay and die; it's your choice."

She waited for five more seconds, and then she turned and opened the door, and walked out of the palace. I had no idea what to do, but there wasn't enough time to make that decision either, so without my permission, my legs began to move, and the next thing I knew, I was following Rosalie out of the palace gates. The rioters didn't even give us a second look, they just subtly parted and let us pass through them – and then we were free.

Rosalie led me to a covered carriage, and the moment we got inside, the driver whipped the horses and told them to ride on. As I watched the palace get smaller behind us, my heart sank, and I knew I had to come clean to Rosalie….at least partially.

"Do you know where the Cullens are based?" I asked, taking her by surprise.

"I can find out…Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"They're my family," I told her, which only seemed to make her suspicion rise.

"You're family? And why should I believe that? I only planned to get you out of the area because your life was in danger there, but there's no way I'm bringing you to the Cullens only to have you return to the king with their location."

"My father is Charles Swan, my uncle is Carlisle, and my brother Emmett was captured several months ago, which is why I originally got involved myself," I explained to try and prove my story. "Ask me anything about them, and I'll tell you."

"Your brother is Emmett?" she asked quietly.

"You know him?" I practically yelled.

"No, not really. I met him once a long time ago after my sister first went missing. I went to Cullen hoping for help finding her, but they said it was too dangerous to go into the palace, so that's when I decided to come alone and ended up meeting the Denalis. Bella, listen, I want to trust you, but I was taught to never trust anyone."

"You _can_ trust me. I'm telling you the truth. I was sent into the palace to try to kill the king. I never expected all the rest of the stuff to happen. I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And now you're leaving here pregnant with the prince's child…_hypothetically, that is_," she said with a smirk, but then her face fell serious. "Bella, this isn't good. The Cullens purpose is to eliminate the Aro's bloodline, and that will include your baby. They can't leave anyone alive that could possibly claim the throne one day….Bella, they're going to kill the infant when it's born."

"They would never," I hissed at her. "This is my baby, they wouldn't hurt it."

"To save the kingdom from a possible return of Aro's bloodline, they most certainly would…_unless you never tell them,_" she suggested. "You'll have to say the father was a groundskeeper or a stable hand. It's better to be labeled a whore than to have them murder your baby."

Telling them the baby's father was a stable hand wouldn't even be a lie, and I was already a whore, so really what difference would it make. "You wouldn't tell them?" I questioned her slowly.

"I know what it's like to lose a child; I would never support anyone trying to take one from its mother."

"So…?"

"So, I'll take you to the Cullens, but your baby's father was just a worker at the palace, and the truth stays between us. I'll keep your secret until the day I die; you can trust me, Bella."

"Thank you, Heidi - I mean Rosalie," I said wholeheartedly.

"My friends call me Rose," she said with a heavy smile.

"Wow, who would have thought you actually had friends," I semi joked.

"I'm sorry about always being rude before, Bella, I really didn't mean it. Sometimes being mean is the best way to keep people at a distance."

"No, I understand, and completely agree."

"Still," she continued. "I don't want any of those other girls in there getting hurt. I may have been mean to them, but I really do care. We'll have to figure out a way to keep some people safe when the attack occurs."

"Definitely," I agreed.

After a while, Rose climbed out of the carriage to go speak to the driver, and I spent that time contemplating absolutely everything. My baby, the battle, Edward…There was so much to consider, but the more time I spent thinking it through, the more I realized something about the plan had to change. I didn't care that Edward was the son of that monster; I could never knowingly let anyone hurt him. He was innocent, and he didn't deserve to pay for Aro's sins. I needed a way to separate them and make people see that Edward was not evil like his father, and he deserved to live.

That became my new mission. I would tell the Cullens what they needed to know about the palace, as long as they assured me that Edward would be spared. If I could accomplish that, then that would be enough for me. Even if I never saw him again, I would be ok knowing Edward was safe.

Rose came back inside the carriage a little while later, and we continued to travel for what seemed like a very long time. When we finally came to a stop, the driver opened the door to the carriage and held out his hand to help us out. Rose exited first, and when it was my turn, I looked around with wide eyes. We were in the countryside somewhere, and because there were no widows in the carriage, I had no idea exactly where we were.

"Where are we?" I asked as I shielded my eyes from the bright sun.

"The Cullen headquarters, I presume," Rose said.

"It's right down there," the driver said while pointing towards a little barn down the hill.

"That's the headquarters?" I asked surprised. I knew the headquarters had moved after I left for the palace, but I didn't expect the new one to look like that.

"Carlisle knows the importance of staying inconspicuous," the man replied with a grin.

I looked at him skeptically. "You know my uncle?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Jasper Hale, liaison between the Cullens and Denalis…and well, just about every other group joining the cause."

"And how do we know we can trust you? You could be leading us into a trap for all we know," I told him.

"Bella, Jasper is my brother," Rose told me unexpectedly. "He got involved not long after I did. We can trust him."

"Oh…okay then."

"Come on, let's go," Jasper said with a kind smile.

I began following them to the barn, but I soon fell behind slightly as I looked around to drink in all the beauty of our location; it had been so long since I was somewhere that wasn't surrounded by a brick wall. It was nothing like the lake Edward had taken me to while horseback riding, but I found myself comparing the two. The fresh air, the greenery, the smell of honeysuckle and lavender. It was familiar, and yet, felt completely empty without Edward there with me, and I began missing him even more than I already was.

When I finally made it to the barn, I was surprised yet again. It looked like nothing more than a barn, and it was even full of animals. "Are we in the wrong place?" I asked Jasper.

"Nope, it's right through here," he said, and then he went over to the corner and stomped on the ground. "Here we go," he said before pulling on a hidden rope and opening a hatch. "You can never be too careful."

We walked down a rickety ladder, and then a dark narrow hall before we came to a door. Jasper knocked in a strange pattern, and then the door opened.

"Jasper? I wasn't expecting you today, is everything okay?" I heard a familiar voice ask. I peeked around Jasper's shoulders and my heart jumped when I saw my uncle. His face was heavy with stress, but when he saw me, it immediately broke and he looked both relieved and overjoyed. "Bella, thank the lord," he said before stepping around Jasper to embrace me. "We were beginning to think we lost you the way we did Emmett."

"You still haven't heard from him?" I asked solemnly.

"No, but once the king is dead, I'm sure we'll find him," he said determinedly. "We were actually hoping he was in the palace dungeons, but Jacob hasn't been able to get into there to find out."

"Palace dungeons? I didn't even know the palace had a dungeon," I said, feeling like a complete moron. I should have spent my time searching for the dungeon, not gallivanting about with the stable boy.

"Don't worry, if he is there, we will find him," Carlisle assured me. "Now come, let's get you settled in."

He led me further into the tunnel below the barn, and began introducing everyone there.

"Where's my dad?" I asked, after noting his absence.

"He's at a different base camp, but I've just sent Jasper to let him know that you're here," he explained.

After I was shown an area that I could rest, I took a few hours to collect my thoughts, and then went back over to Carlisle so we could speak about everything.

"So Bella, tell me, how have you been?" he asked concerned. "Jacob has been able to send messages to us, but the last one said he couldn't find you anywhere."

I nodded. "I was promoted to be a royal chambermaid…so I really wasn't able to be around the regular staff there," I said vaguely.

"So, you can make us maps of the palace floors?" Carlisle asked hopefully.

"Yes, I can tell you everything I know about the palace, but…"

"But?"

"But you have to promise me that the new prince won't be hurt," I said in a rush.

Carlisle stared at me for a moment, stunned and confused. "Bella…the new prince must be taken out along with the king; otherwise, he will assume the throne and we'll be right back where we started."

I bit my lower lip, and stared him down. "Fine, then I can't tell you anything."

"Bella, I really don't understand what's happening here," he said frustrated. "Why do you want us to spare the prince? From what I've heard, he's just as bad as his father."

"What? That's ridiculous," I spat. "He is a good man, and just because he shares the same blood as that awful king, doesn't mean anything."

"Bella," he said slowly. "Even if the prince doesn't seem as bad as the king just yet, that doesn't mean he won't turn out that way. When this king was just a prince, everyone had such high hopes for him because he seemed so good and even did charity work. Once they get a taste of that power, it overtakes them. The evil _does _run in the blood, sweetheart, and we can't allow it to continue. We must eliminate them before the prince has the chance to conceive an heir of his own."

"What if you're too late?" I asked challengingly. "What if the prince has already married and now a baby is on the way?"

Carlisle was quiet for a moment, and then he finally spoke. "Then we would have to make sure his new wife was taken out as well."

"While pregnant?" I questioned incredulously.

"It has to end Bella, once and for all," he said sorrowfully. It was obvious that Carlisle hated the idea of killing anyone; he was a humanitarian and valued any and all life, but he was also a realist and believed that their deaths were necessary to prevent thousands of others from dying as a result of their rule. I couldn't hate him for his belief, but I still couldn't allow it to happen even more.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle, but my condition stands. The prince needs to remain safe, or you won't get the information."

"People will die; dozens of people die every day that the Aro's line rules. We must have that information!" he said sharply.

"Then you must assure his safety!" I maintained, refusing to waver.

"What's really going on here?" he asked me suspiciously. "There's something more you're not saying. Obviously you're fond of this man, otherwise you'd never ask this…but it's more than that, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied unconvincingly.

"Bella, please – this isn't a game. That man isn't harmless or innocent. Whatever you think you know….you don't. If he is truly worth saving, then he would have found a way to prevent the massacre that happened last week in the Volterra piazza. They say that occurred under the prince's command. He is no better than his brother before him, or their father."

I shook my head angrily, refusing to believe Edward would ever do such a thing. "I don't care what people say, that's not him. He would never command anyone to be murdered like that. He's a good man, and nothing you say will make me change my mind on this. You want the information, and I want him to live….and for all the others in the palace to be ok as well. Those are my terms. This attack has to just be about the king, and nothing more, or I won't be a part of it."

"I need to speak to your father before I make any deals," Carlisle said evenly before getting up. "But from what I hear, you're not the only one who may be able to help us with this."

"Nobody else knows the palace as well as I do," I called his bluff.

"The woman you came with does," he said unexpectedly. "Rosalie, is it? Her brother Jasper is a strong ally of ours, I'm sure we have her loyalties," he said before storming out of the room.

Rose must have squeezed past Carlisle without him realizing it, because she came in before the door even had a chance to close behind him. "What happened?" she asked me when she saw the stress on my face.

"I wouldn't tell my uncle what I know until he could assure me the prince won't be hurt…and he refused. So it's safe to say that he's not too happy with me right now. He doesn't need my information anyway, he said they have you now."

Rose sighed. "Bella, even if he were to promise you the prince would be safe, that doesn't mean he'd keep his word, not if he thought it was for the greater good."

"But he's my family, I'm supposed to be able to trust him."

"The moment you conceived that baby, the Cullens became your enemy. Now the only family you have is your child. That's the way you have to think of it if you want to keep him safe. You really shouldn't have come here. If they ever found out the truth, things could be really bad for you."

"I just can't believe they'd ever do anything to hurt me or my baby," I said hopelessly.

"Are you willing to take that chance?"

"No," I said without hesitation. "You're right, I can't stay here, but where am I supposed to go?" I asked feeling hopeless.

"Go start a new life. Leave everything else behind," she suggested.

"What if I can't?" I asked emotionally. "I don't know how to do any of this. Besides, there's rebels everywhere now. How could I ever really get away?

"You are so much stronger than you think you are. Have faith in yourself," Rose said encouragingly. "A mother's love has no bounds; you will do whatever it takes to protect your baby."

"Baby?" Carlisle asked from the doorway. Neither Rose nor I knew he came back, but it was clear that he heard more than I would ever want him to.

"We were having a private conversation!" I said strongly.

"You're pregnant," he stated, as if it wasn't even a question. "I heard you. She said you have to do whatever it takes to protect your baby."

"You misunderstood me," Rose said quickly.

"I know what I heard," he insisted.

"Well you heard wrong, we were talking about…my baby," she covered for me.

"You're pregnant?" he asked her confused. "But you were working as a concubine, right?"

"Maybe…and maybe now I'm pregnant. What would you say to that?" Rose challenged him.

I raised my eyebrows at her in shock, but she refused to break eye contact with my uncle, and I understood why. She was testing him for me, to see if my baby could ever possibly be safe with them, and regardless of the outcome, I was grateful for her.

"You are pregnant with a possible heir to the throne?" he asked with a gulp; he may have even turned a few shades of green as a response to the news.

"I didn't say that…exactly, but hypothetically, what if I was?" Rose said fearlessly with her arms firmly crossed in front of her.

Carlisle was quiet as he considered it, and then he sighed. "We can't allow an heir to survive," he said regretfully.

"A baby is innocent, no matter the blood that runs through its veins!" Rose snapped.

"I'd agree, if I didn't see the evil firsthand," Carlisle replied. "We can't let that family continue. We must end it, once and for all. We have a doctor here, maybe we can remove the fetus before you have a chance to bond with it."

"I've already bonded with it!" she shouted at him.

"I'm sorry, but even if I agree to look the other way when it comes to this baby's lineage, others will find out, and the baby will be hunted."

"How will they find out?" Rose asked skeptically.

"The fact you were a concubine and then gave birth would automatically make people question it. They'd hunt you regardless of who its paternity actually was. Until the world is free of Aro's line, this war will never be over."

Rose lifted her head, and stuck her nose in the air arrogantly. "Fine, let the hunt begin," she said resolved, before grabbing my arm and pulling me out with her.

We didn't stop when we reached the outside of the barn, and we didn't speak either. We grabbed two horses, and without a word, we each mounted one and took off riding. When we reached a far enough distance, she finally spoke…

"It won't be long until they figure out that you're really pregnant instead of me. They'll come after you Bella, and they won't stop. By now Lauren has told the king about your pregnancy too, so the king's men will be after you as well. Trust no one…and don't ever stop running. Both the king and the Cullens have people everywhere, so change your name, and never tell anyone the truth," Rose said without stopping her ride.

"Wait, what about you?" I called to her concerned knowing the Cullens would be after her too.

"I'll be ok. I'm a survivor, Bella…and so are you. Separating is best for now, but perhaps someday we'll see each other again," she said, before suddenly changing direction and disappearing around a bend.

I wanted to follow her and at least thank her for her help, but I knew that wasn't what she wanted, so I continued on alone.

I rode until I couldn't ride any more, and then I stopped and took cover in a cave for the night. As I laid there and tried to keep warm, I couldn't stop my mind from going over the surrealistic new reality of my life. I was currently running from two major forces; the royal family would kill me if they found me, and the Cullens, my family, would kill my baby. I felt lost and abandoned by everyone and everything. Rose, who was really my only friend left, was also on the run because of me, and I was terrified to think about what would happen to her if she was caught. I only wished there was more I could do for her.

When morning came, I continued to ride, and with a clearer mind, I decided to head to the coast. Perhaps I could board a ship and go overseas where nobody would find me, but after riding for two more days, I arrived at a harbor only to see the place swarming with royal Volterrian guards. Even if I miraculously managed to get past them, I knew I'd never get past all the hidden Cullen allies who were sure to be there as well. I could continue to run. I could run in circles and stay two steps ahead of everyone until the day my baby was born – but then what? How long could I really run with an infant?

The plan was to find somewhere safe, to make a new life for me and my baby, but I quickly realized that it wasn't possible. Eventually someone would find us, and depending on which group ultimately captured us, either me or my baby would be killed. There was just no escaping it, so I decided to do the only thing I could do…return to the palace on my own free will.

I accepted the fact that Aro would have me killed, but he'd have to wait until after the birth, and then he would send the baby away somewhere safe. It was the baby's only real chance against the rebels, and as a mother, how could I not do whatever possible to save my child, even at the expense of my own life…


	10. Against a Wall

Chapter X – _Against a Wall_

Once I made up my mind to return to the palace, the next obstacle, and probably the most challenging, was to remain unnoticed by anyone until I got there. By then the king was informed of my pregnancy, and chances were they assumed it meant my betrayal, so I needed a chance to speak to the king personally, and somehow convince him that I was carrying Edward's child, otherwise I could be killed on spot by the first guard to find me. It was a risky situation, but it was one I had to take because there simply was no other option.

I managed to make it all the way to the palace, but when I got there, I was stopped at the gates. This wasn't an abnormal occurrence, everyone was stopped at the gates, and unless you had a very good reason for being there, you weren't getting in…I just so happened to have a very good reason.

"State your name and business," the gate guard demanded strongly as I approached him.

"Uh…Bella, and I'm here because I believe the king might be looking for me," I said nervously.

The guard leaned in to get a better look at me. "Hold on a minute, you's that missing concubine, aint you?" he asked with broken English. I wasn't surprised, most guards were uneducated and spoke poorly. It was a way to keep control and always make the king feel superior in every way possible.

"Yes sir, I believe so," I said with a gulp.

"It aint 'er," another guard argued. "I've had six people claiming to have that missing concubine today alone. Why the hell would she turn 'erself in if twas really 'er?"

"I don't know, she fits the description," the first guard said hesitantly.

"Long dark hair, brown eyes - All women 'round here fits that description, you daft moron!" the second guard snapped. "We can't afford to be wrong again, the king will surely have our heads."

"I'm really her," I said quickly.

"So, whys you turning yourself in then?" the guard asked skeptically as he spat on the ground by my feet.

"The streets aren't as kind as I was hoping," I said honestly.

The guard smiled. "You miss all the lavish things the king provides, eh?"

"I guess you can say that," I replied emotionlessly.

"If you's the concubine, then where's the two other girls that ran away that night wit ya?" he questioned.

"_Two_ others?" I asked confused. I figured they may ask me about Rose, but I didn't know anyone else had left as well.

"Yeah – what were their names again?" he asked the other guard while scratching his head. "Didn't one start wit an H and the other with an L?"

"You can't read, so how the hell would you know that?" the other asked.

Their bickering was really starting to give me a migraine and I just couldn't take it anymore, so I snapped. "Listen, you Neanderthals!" I yelled at them. They looked at me in shock, but I didn't give them a chance to really react because I continued right away. "You want proof that I'm the missing concubine, then here it is," I said bitterly as I turned and pulled down my shirt sleeve to expose my burned three on my shoulder.

"I reckon she could have burned the number on 'erself," one of them mumbled.

"You idiot! What kind of woman would do that? Sides, it's a three likes they said it'd be. If she wuz faking it, she would have done a one or even a two. I think we ought to take 'er to the king," the other said.

"If we wrong, we'll get hanged."

"If it really is 'er and the king found out we let 'er go, the king will hang us, then burn down our homes wit our families still inside."

They both gulped.

"Ok, yous take 'er," the other said quickly.

"No way in hell. You take 'er."

They began fighting again, so I just walked right past them through the palace gates. After walking in alone for a few moments, they must have realized what happened because one of them finally joined me and escorted me to the main palace doors. As we approached, my stomach twisted in knots and my nerves spiked to an all-time high. It was one thing to think about the idea of sacrificing my life, but to actually do it was absolutely terrifying.

Would I spend the rest of my days in a cold damp dungeon? Would I even get to hold my baby before they took it away and killed me? I couldn't even imagine it, and I tried like hell not to. I needed to be strong; I could do it for my baby.

The moment we stepped inside the doors, we were immediately met by Headmistress, who looked at me with shock, confusion, and perhaps even a little sympathy. I doubt she ever expected to see me again, and if I were her I was sure I'd share in her bafflement.

"Where was she caught?" she asked the guard evenly.

"So it is 'er?" the guard asked proudly. "I done told'em it wuz 'er, but he never believes me."

"Where did you catch her?" Headmistress repeated impatiently.

"She turned 'erself in…right at the gate," he said with a wide grin full of rotting teeth, but then he seemed to reconsider his statement. "I means, I caught 'er in the village stealing apples. The king will grant mes the reward even tho I'ma guard right?" he asked hopefully.

"You will have to take that up with him," Headmistress said irritated before turning her glare to me. She gave me the once over as she considered whatever she was thinking, and then the smallest hint of a smile crossed her features.

"Shall I take 'er to Tia to strip and search 'er fors weapons before I's take 'er to the king?" the guard asked.

"No!" Headmistress practically shouted, and then it was my turn to be suspicious of her. Did she think I was there to kill the king and was actually happy about it? Sure seemed like it. "There is no need to search her. She's a woman. Women don't know anything about weapons," she said to him convincingly, making me wish I actually did have that dagger still.

"Alls right then. Shall we go now? I haven't had lunch yet and I'm mighty hungry."

"Of course. This way," Headmistress said before leading us down the hall and up the stairs to the king's private chambers. She went in first, assumedly to tell the king that I was there, and then I was brought in forcefully.

The king stood there calmly, and even wore a little smirk as I was taken closer to him, but his eyes told a different story – they raged.

"Bella, I'm so happy you have returned to us safely. You had us in quite a frenzy looking for you," he said in a sickly pleasant tone. Then he turned to the guard who had escorted me from the gate. "Are you the one responsible for finding our dear Bella?" he asked him.

"Uh…yes, My Lord," the guard said proudly.

"And, what of the other two women? Were they with her?" the king questioned.

"No. My apologies, your highness; she wuz alone and would not say where the other women are. We guessed they separated when theys escaped."

The king smiled at him. "Escaped? What a peculiar use of the word. Concubines are not prisoners, so there is no need for them to 'escape'. Isn't that right?" he asked Headmistress.

"Yes, of course my grace," she agreed quickly.

"Now, go. Return to your home with my gratitude," the king commanded the guard while handing him a small bag of coins.

"Thank you, my lord," the guard said while bowing, but then he stood and paused. "My lord? I don't mean to seem…ungrateful, but seeing hows there wuz two of us that found 'er, perhaps I could get a 'ittle more…compensation?"

"You would like more money?" the king asked surprised.

"Uh…yes sir. But only ifs not too much trouble," the guard said nervously.

"Too much trouble? My good man, I have more money than you could possibly imagine, of course it wouldn't be trouble….But that doesn't mean that you should get any more. You did your job – nothing more. In fact," he said while reaching out and taking the bag of coins away from him. "Consider this a donation to the palace. Be grateful you have a job at all. There are hundreds of other men who would kill to be in your place, trust me," the king said darkly before waving his hand and excusing him. "You may leave as well," the king added to Headmistress.

"Yes, my lord," she said with a curtsy, and then hurried out of the room after the guard, leaving the king and me alone.

He stared at me for a moment, and then took a step closer. "So, why did you come back?" he asked evenly.

"I needed to come tell Edward…." I started to say, but he interrupted.

"You NEEDED to stay HERE!" he yelled in a burst of anger. I expected him to continue with his screaming, but instead he calmed himself, and even smiled again. "Despite what you may believe, Edward couldn't care less that you were gone. He was never worried or upset, in fact, he seemed happier than he has been in years…but that's beside the point," he said casually.

"If he was so happy to have me gone, then why were you still having guards looking for me?" I asked with a little more attitude than I intended.

Without warning, he backhanded me across my face - and hard. I fell to the ground, and knew better than to try to get up in that moment. There was no point in fighting back; that would have just made him even angrier.

"This has nothing to do with him. I say who comes and who leaves, not you! This is MY KINGDOM!" he shouted over me. He began pacing the room, and then he instructed me to get up, so I did. "Where are the other two girls?" he asked. When I didn't answer, he asked again – "WHERE?"

"I don't know," I said honestly.

"Heidi and Lauren, where are they?" he continued to question. It wasn't until then that I realized Lauren was the other girl missing. It suddenly became clear that the king had no idea that I was pregnant, but why? Why would Lauren run away instead of telling him about me?

"I'm telling the truth, I don't know," I said again while trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my face from where he had hit me. "We didn't stay together."

He glared at me for a minute, and then stood straight and relaxed his face. "No matter," he said calmly. "They'll be caught soon enough, and then their fates will be the same as yours. You may not have stayed together, but you'll all be reunited soon…in hell," he said evilly before calling in a different awaiting guard.

"Take her…to await execution," he instructed the guard.

"No wait!" I called desperately. It was the punishment I was expecting, but I couldn't allow it until after my baby was born.

"Ignore her," the king commanded the guard.

"NO, I'M PREGNANT!" I yelled.

The king put up his hand signaling the guard to stop, and then he walked closer to me. "What did you say?" he hissed.

"I'm pregnant. I came here to save my baby; please, just let me live until it's born," I begged.

His face twisted in an odd, devilish way, and then he leaned in even closer so that our faces were only inches apart. "And I assume that you are claiming the fetus is my son's, otherwise you wouldn't be stupid enough to believe I would spare it?"

"Of course it's his," I told him strongly.

He laughed once. "I suppose that would be cause enough for Lauren to run for her life, after all, it was her job to make sure you whores didn't get pregnant."

"She didn't fail at her job, I must have gotten pregnant before I became a concubine," I explained quickly. I never liked Lauren, but I surely didn't want her killed because of me.

The king smiled at me again, and then backed away. "Take her down, and tell no one of this," he instructed the guard.

"What's going to happen?" I asked concerned as the guard grabbed my arm.

"Don't worry my dear, that baby will be born…and then it will be mine, but of course, you'll never get to see it," he said in his 'pleasant' tone. The king waved the guard on, so he opened the door to leave, but then paused. I turned my head to see why the guard stopped, and of course, he was there. He was always there when I needed him the most.

"Edward," I whispered.

He glanced at me, and then he looked up at the king. "What the hell is going on?" he asked him irately.

"What does it look like?" the king sneered. "I'm punishing the guilty, just as I should."

Edward took a step closer to the guard, and leaned into him. "Let go of her, now!" he demanded.

"I'm just following orders, sir," the guard said nervously.

"Well, that's good, but now you're going to follow _my_ orders. Let go of her!" Edward said sharply.

The scared guard looked at the king, and then back at Edward, and back to the king. "It's ok, Diego, let her go," the king relented. "You may leave."

Once the guard was gone, it was just the three of us, and Edward stared down his father with a murderous glare. "Where were you sending her?" Edward asked with venom laced words.

"Where do you think, son? I was sending her below to await the birth. Clearly, you somehow already know she is pregnant." the king said calmly.

"Oh yeah, and why is that clear?"

"You wouldn't be this upset otherwise," the king said softly.

"I'm upset because once again, you were trying to control something that's not yours."

"EVERYTHING IS MINE!" the king shouted furiously.

"Not anymore," Edward said evenly. "You forced me into this position, and now you have to deal with the consequences."

"I don't have to deal with anything; I'm the king, you do as I say," he said forcefully.

"No, sorry, it doesn't work like that – not when it comes to this. I've let you use her life to keep me under control from the very beginning, but that stops now. Now, I'm in control."

"And how do you figure that? How will you stop me from taking her down below, and killing her once the baby is born?" the king asked maliciously.

"The same way that I have refused to marry thus far. You need me, a whole hell of a lot more than I need you. You refuse to ever kill me because of the 'sin' attached to spilling royal blood, but more importantly, you need an heir - but tell me, why the hell would I possibly need _you_? I'd say the power is in my hands here. You want me to conceive an heir – well, there you go," he said while pointing at me.

"A legitimate heir, not that bastard with inferior bloodlines!" the king spat.

"You want it legitimate, then fine, I'll marry Bella," Edward said, taking the king and me both by surprise.

The king scoffed. "A concubine as the future queen? I think not."

"We both know she's not a concubine; you forced her into that position," Edward rebutted.

"Fine. A maid, as a future queen?" the king corrected.

"I suppose that's no worse than a stable boy as a king," Edward said mockingly.

"You chose that job! Besides, it's the blood that matters," the king argued.

"Who the hell knows what's in her blood, and it doesn't really matter anyway. You want a legitimate heir? Well, the one in her stomach is the only one you'll ever get. Look around, I really don't see anyone else that could possibly keep your bloodline going. All you have is me, so all you have is her. I will not marry anyone else, and I swear to god, I will never bed anyone else, and there is nothing you can do to make me."

"I could just kill her now and risk hell when that day comes," the king said sadistically.

Edward locked his jaw. "Go ahead…but that won't change my stance. You kill her, all that you will accomplish is ending the monarchy. But it's your kingdom; perhaps it is time to move Volterra into democracy."

"Over my dead body!" the king hissed.

"I'll remember that," Edward said with a laugh.

"Don't mock me boy!" the king snapped.

"Or else what? You can't do anything to me," Edward said defiantly.

"As you said, I have an heir on the way," the king said in reference to me. "I could throw you and your concubine in the dungeons, and raise the baby right. He'll be just like my real son was; strong, and ruthless."

"Yeah, you could do that…unless it's a girl. Then what? Are you planning to live long enough to wait until she's of age, then breed her hoping for a male heir, and then live long enough for that child to come of age? That's one long life, old man."

The king stared at him in pure fury; Edward had him against a wall, and he knew it. He took a deep breath, and then let it out aggressively. "Fine. Let us work out the terms," the king said before abruptly walking out of the room.

Edward also took a deep breath, but his seemed more like relief. "Are you ok?" he asked me quietly.

"What just happened?" I whispered.

"Everything will be fine. Lie down and rest for a while, I'll be back soon," he said, and then he turned and went out the way the king had.

I just stood there and watched the door where he had left. I had no idea what to think or how to feel; the entire thing was just too surreal. In fact, I was so confused that I wasn't even sure what the outcome of the conversation was. All I really knew for sure was that Edward would take care of me like before, and I knew without a doubt that he always would.

"Ma'am, please come with me," a chambermaid said to me gently. I didn't even realize she had come in, but apparently she was told to take me somewhere.

"Who are you?" I asked the young girl who I had never seen before.

"A maid," she said confused as to why I wouldn't know that.

"No, what's your name?"

She looked even more baffled by my question. "My name is Jane, but I just don't know why that would matter."

"You must be new; I worked here not too long ago," I told her.

The girl looked at me like I was crazy, so I decided to drop it. "Sorry… just, never mind."

I followed the girl to one of the bedrooms, where she told me Edward would return to later, so I had nothing to do but wait. I still had no idea what my fate would be, but Edward was doing what he could, and that was the best I could hope for. I tried to replay the entire confrontation between Edward and the king, but my memory of it was already fuzzy. In fact, everything was fuzzy, and I knew it was from pure emotional and physical exhaustion; I needed to rest, so for my baby's sake, I grudgingly did so. I didn't want to lie down, but I had no idea how long Edward would be, and the last thing I wanted to do was make myself sick; I needed to stay strong for whatever lied ahead.

I quickly felt myself drift off, and the next thing I knew, I was awoken by the gentle caress of Edward's hand on my cheek.

"Edward," I cooed. He was lying next to me, and I had a moment of pure bliss before I remembered that he had come to tell me my fate.

"What happened to your face?" he asked me protectively.

"It doesn't matter anymore," I said as I pulled myself closer to him, and curled into his chest.

"Of course it matters….Did he do that to you? Did he hit you?" he asked angrily, and got up off the bed.

"Where are you going?" I protested. "Please don't leave me right now." I jumped up to grab his arm, and held onto him like a child would to its mother. I needed him to be with me right then, and I refused to let him go.

"I'm going to kill him," he said evenly while trying to break free from my grasp.

"No, please stay. Please," I cried. "I'm fine Edward, please, don't make it worse than it already is."

He stared at me for a few minutes, and then huffed before sitting back down on the bad next to me. "I swear, he will never touch you again," he said with conviction.

I nodded, and then gulped nervously. "What happened? What did he…decide?"

Edward seemed to relax a bit as he wrapped me in his arms, and then pulled us down so we were lying on the bed again. "He didn't really have a choice in the matter. I didn't leave him with any options."

"So…?" I prompted.

"So the wedding will be in two days," he said casually with a smirk.

"Wedding?" I whispered confused.

"Oh Bella – god, I'm sorry," he said suddenly, and then he let go of me, and got back up. "I'm really an idiot. I didn't even ask you what you wanted…not that the king would really give us any other choices, but still, you deserve to be asked."

"What are you talking about?" I asked puzzled as I sat up. He reached for something in his pocket, and then pulled it out. It was a small box, and inside was a giant diamond ring. He bent down on one knee, and asked - "Bella, will you marry me?" When I didn't respond right away out of pure shock, he seemed to get anxious. "Look, I know this isn't ideal, and none of it is fair to you. What I wouldn't give to buy some land somewhere with a farm, and just raise horses and…babies, but this is the best I have. I love you, and I have loved you from the first moment I saw you. You are everything to me, and I will do whatever possible to make your life the best it can be."

It all became suddenly clear. Edward had done the impossible; he found a way to give me everything I wanted – a life with him and our baby. Despite the horrible king, and the looming Cullen attack on what would soon be my new family, I couldn't have been happier in that moment. "I love you too," I said, and then wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tightly.

"Is that a 'yes'?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, it's a 'yes'." I pulled back just enough to press my lips to his, and he returned the kiss passionately. I wanted to be locked to him permanently and after we were married, we would be. I absently started unbuttoning his shirt, but then he stopped me. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"We can't," he said unexpectedly.

"We can't? Why?" I asked baffled.

"It's part of the deal."

"I don't understand." He backed away from me, and explained. "He's insisting on this 'legitimate' stipulation."

"Ok…meaning?"

"Well, it's always been a rule that a prince or king can only marry virgins."

"Uh…" I said confused. Obviously, being pregnant, there was no way to make me a virgin.

"So, you have to go through some ridiculous 'purification' - thingy, and we can't have sex again until after we're married."

"What is the 'purification' thingy?" I asked anxiously.

He shook his head. "It's like a baptism. Really, it's not a big deal."

"But…I'll still be pregnant," I said even further confused.

"Like I said, it's stupid. But if it placates him, then whatever."

"Edward, how did you know I was pregnant?" I asked, realizing that he didn't seem surprised whatsoever when his father told him. On top of that, he had yet to ask me where and why I left in the first place.

"Lauren told me, right after the riots," he said taking me by surprise.

"Lauren? She's not here anymore, where did she go?"

"When everything settled from the rioting….and I swear, I would have never left you if I thought you were in any real danger..." he said quickly. I nodded, so he continued. "Anyway, she was looking for the king to tell him, but she found me instead. She thought I would be pissed when I found out, she thought I would assume you somehow cheated, but I didn't. When I told her that I was sure it was mine, she got scared, as if she thought I was going to blame her for it, and then she disappeared. I really have no idea where she went."

"You never told the king?" I questioned.

"No. You were gone, so I figured you ran to try to make a better life for both of you. I wasn't about to tell the king and just add to his anger."

"You weren't mad that I would run with your baby?" I asked.

"How could I grudge you that? Hell, I'm tempted to run with it… I don't want this, Bella; I don't want this life for you or our baby, but if we all ran together, he would never stop chasing us. I really had hoped that he would give up searching for you eventually if he never found out about the pregnancy, but you came back, and now we need to work together on making this baby as good as it can be here."

"What's going to happen to the woman you were supposed to marry?" I asked feeling a sense of calm that I hadn't felt since before I first left home.

He shrugged carelessly. "She'll probably return to her home and marry some other prince or nobleman. Women like her will always find some kind of rich family to marry into."

"That's good, I suppose," I said, but then couldn't help but smile. "So…we marry in two days?" I asked while wrapping my arms back around him again.

"Yeah, and as long as there's no big imminent threat of any kind that we know of, we'll leave right away for our honeymoon."

My stomach twisted in knots when he talked about a 'threat', especially when I knew all too well that the Cullens were in fact plotting against him. I wanted to tell him everything, but I was scared. Edward loved me, but would it be enough if he found out I was actually a conspirator?

"Hey, don't look so upset," he said while gently lifting my chin so I would look at him. "Everything will be fine, I promise." He kissed me softly, and then smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too…but you're leaving, aren't you?" I guessed.

"Yeah, I have work…but so do you," he said apologetically.

"What do I have to do?" I asked clueless.

"Well, I believe you're going to get measured for a gown, and all that other fun stuff that goes into a wedding."

"Can't wait," I said sarcastically. "When will I see you again?" I asked.

"The wedding," he replied. My face fell, and he knew right away I wasn't happy about that. "I know, but its only two days, and then we'll be together for at least a couple months of uninterrupted, king free, time before we have to come back here."

"Really?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course," he said with a chuckle.

"No, I mean 'really', as in this is all really happening? We're really getting married?" I was still in disbelief about the entire thing, and I needed him to tell me one more time before he left.

"We are really getting married," he said while kissing my forehead. "That is unless you run away again," he teased.

I shook my head. "I belong with you, no matter what," I said intensely.

"Always," he agreed, and then kissed me one more time, before turning and walking out of the room. I really didn't understand how I kept finding myself in those surrealistic positions. In less than a year's time, I went from a farm girl, to a member of the Cullen activist group, to Volterrian palace maidservant, royal chambermaid, concubine, back to a Cullen, and now about to marry the prince. It was all unbelievable and completely overwhelming, but that was the reality of my life.

It didn't really matter where I came from or what I was before, because for the rest of my life, I would be nothing more than Edward's wife and mother to our child. That's the way I looked at it, and that's what I wanted more than anything. The king was no longer a concern of mine, I needed to concentrate solely on my new little family, and pray to god the Cullens would never catch up to us and bring it all crashing down…


	11. Passing Time

Chapter XI – _Passing Time_

The moment Edward told me I'd be spending the next two days doing wedding prep, I knew it was going to be torture…and I was right. Not only was I measured for a dress, which had to be worked on nonstop by twelve seamstresses because of the short time frame, but I was also forced into what I grudgingly called 'princesses classes'. They gave me a crash course on everything I was supposed to know and do as a princess at a royal function; table manners, posture, even a quick dance lesson. It was all overwhelming, and I was absolutely exhausted.

I found out that the reason for the two day schedule, was because that was the day people were already coming to attend Edward's wedding to the other woman. No one would really care that the bride had been changed, but after rescheduling his wedding four times, they decided to keep the date and just stuff me into it. Of course, the awfully boring 'princess classes' would continue after the wedding as well, but it was a small price to pay for being able to marry Edward, and I was definitely willing to pay it.

The purification baptism thingy was just that, a baptism, and just as Edward had predicted, it was really stupid. I was taken to the palace chapel where I was literally put in a large basin of holy water, and basically forced to sit there for ten minutes while someone kept pouring the water over my head. It actually wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have to be naked the whole time; there were only a few chambermaids and the priest there, but still, it was awkward.

"Am I a virgin now?" I asked sarcastically when I was done soaking up the holy water. No one answered me, which was probably better anyway. The priest chanted a few more times in Latin while I was helped out and covered with a robe, but I pretty much ignored him. None of it made sense to me, but Edward was right, anything to get the king off our backs was worth it. Besides, just a few days prior I was convinced I'd have a death sentence and never see Edward again or even hold our child, how could I ever be anything but grateful?

Afterwards, I was taken back to my room and told to get dressed, and then I was forced to spend the rest of the day doing even more 'princess classes', but then the morning of the wedding finally arrived…

"So, are you excited to marry the prince?" Angela, my new assistant, asked me.

Since I was to become the next queen, I was assigned a 'lady in waiting', which I really didn't understand the concept of, so I mentally referred to her as my assistant. I had only just met her, so I really didn't know her well enough to call her 'nice', but she seemed to be. She knew absolutely everything about how a princess should act, so I grateful for her tutorials and assistance. She wasn't technically a servant, so she wasn't the one who dressed me and made the beds; mostly, she kept track of my schedule, made my so called appointments, gave advice and her opinion on things, and helped in any other way I needed. I was actually very happy to have her.

"I'm excited to marry Edward," I replied.

"Yes, I can see you love him," she said with a smile. "It's so refreshing to see a real marriage for the royals, as oppose to their normal loveless arranged ones."

"Well, Edward isn't a normal royal," I told her.

"I think that may benefit the kingdom," she agreed.

"I hope so."

"Midwife's here!" a guard suddenly announced.

"I wasn't aware she was coming," Angela said confused. I had already been checked out by the midwife to make sure I was really pregnant, so we were both surprised she was back.

"The king just sent her over," the guard explained before letting her into the room.

I was examined – _again_ – and when she was satisfied that I was indeed still pregnant, she left. A team of servants then came in to do my hair and makeup and help me into my dress, and then I was ready to go.

The dress was like everything else in that palace, huge, heavy, and stiff. I only hoped I could walk in the thing… but as I neared the chapel, my chest fluttered and nothing else mattered. It was really happening; I was really going to marry Edward. Up until that point I had an underlying fear that it was all just some elaborate trick of the king's designed to control Edward in some way, but with the amount of people there, it had to be real.

All I could think of was the first time Edward and I met, and I truly believed that I fell in love with him right then. He was beautiful and cocky and even rude, but under all that, he had the most amazing eyes that showed straight into his soul, and I was home…even if I refused to admit it to myself back then. It had all happened so fast, and yet, I felt like I knew him my entire life.

As I entered the chapel, everyone stood and looked at me, but they weren't like normal happy guests you typically found at weddings, they all wore stiff judging expressions that made me feel less than an inch tall, but they all quickly melted away, because I locked eyes with Edward and he was beaming. I must have floated down the endlessly long aisle, because the next thing I knew, he was holding my hands in his and we were standing face to face. The ceremony was also in Latin, so just like the baptism, I didn't understand most of it, but I really didn't care. The only thing that kicked me out of my blissful daze however, was the moment the priest announced me - "Princess Isabella, future Queen of Volterra."

For a moment, a brief moment, I had a feeling of horror wash over me. _What the hell did I do?_ I became a member of the most hated monarchy of recent times; the daughter-in-law of the most ruthless man in the world, the one responsible for so many deaths, including my mother's and possibly brother's. I was traitor. I turned my back on my family and on the entire kingdom just to be with Edward.

But as he pulled me into him and his lips crashed down onto mine, the moment of regret passed, and I was blindly happy once more. He was everything to me, and I would never forget that again; not even for a moment.

"I love you," he whispered to me as his lips pulled away from our kiss.

"I love you too," I mouthed back. He turned us so we were facing the witnesses, and they all clapped reservedly.

Edward led me out of the chapel, and I actually felt myself physically relax as soon as we were alone.

"It's over, we're actually married," I said with relief heavy in my words.

He pulled me in for our first private kiss as a married couple. "We're almost done. Just a few more hours and we'll be able to leave for the coastal estate," Edward murmured.

"What's left to do?" I asked surprised and slightly disappointed that we weren't leaving right away. I felt like I hadn't seen Edward in weeks, and I just wanted to get someplace that we could have some real quality time together.

"We need to rub elbows with fake snooty noblemen and diplomats before we can leave," he explained with a light chuckle, and that's when I remembered that I still had to survive the reception. _Damn it_. "It'll all be over soon," he whispered sweetly in my ear.

"You're going to stay with me, right?" I asked worriedly.

"Of course," he said with a reassuring smile, but the moment we got into the ballroom, we were announced, then immediately separated. Edward looked back at me apologetically as he was whisked away to converse with some of the all-important guests there, and as for me….

"Princess Isabella, this is Kebi of Egypt," Angela said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. I did my best to act the way I was supposed to and say the things I was taught to say, but the people I met still looked at me like I was completely inferior, though none would have the guts to say so out loud. They were all powerful in their own right, but the truth was that they traveled so far to witness the wedding and pretend to be friendly out of fear. King Aro had certainly threatened the majority of them in one way or another, and they were all afraid of him turning against them and declaring war on their nations. The Volturi Army was one of, if not the strongest in Europe, and it was in the neighboring kingdom's best interest to stay 'friendly'.

The hours ticked on, and I had no idea where Edward was. He never came back to find me, and as the guests started leaving, I was excused to go back to my room for the night….alone. I was exhausted, and had no idea when or if Edward was going to come, so I changed and went to bed before quickly falling asleep.

The next morning, I awoke with a smile as Edward gently caressed my cheek. "You're here," I murmured.

"I'm so sorry I allowed us to be pulled apart," he whispered softly.

"It doesn't matter, you're here now," I said while pulling myself closer to him, but then I noticed something. "Did you just get in?" I asked after seeing that he was still wearing his wedding suit. For whatever reason, I had really thought that he got in late and slept next to me.

"Yeah, I had some last minute business to attend to, but now we're free," he said with a huge grin.

"Free? I like the sound of that," I said, returning his smile.

He kissed me quickly before helping me up out of bed, and then we finished getting ready to leave. I wasn't sure how far we were going or how long we'd be gone for, but anywhere with him, especially when it was away from the palace and the king, was perfect.

"We just have to finalize one more minor detail before we leave," Edward informed me just as we were about to depart.

"What is it?" I asked with a smile as a result of his reserved excitement.

"Okay, don't take this the wrong way, but…"

"But what?" I asked, suddenly realizing where he was leading me. "Edward, why are we going to Room C?"

"I said don't take it the wrong way," he said playfully.

"Okay, how am I supposed to take it?" I asked confused.

"Well, since I insisted that my concubines be disbanded, all of those Threes were left without jobs, so I thought you could take your pick."

"My pick?"

"Of handmaidens," he said with a crooked grin before opening the doors and letting me see inside. All of the Threes were there waiting for me, and all looked like they were busting at the seams with excitement.

"Oh my god, are you serious?" I asked Edward eagerly.

"Well I certainly have no use for them," Edward said with a laugh. "Aro may not understand, but I was raised to believe in the sanctity of marriage."

"Unless you were married to someone else, right?" I teased him.

He thought about it for a minute, and then conceded. "Okay, I was raised to believe in the sanctity of love. How about that?" he said, obviously proud of himself.

I giggled. "Remind me to thank your grandfather for that one when I meet him in heaven."

"My grandfather's not the one you'd want to thank. Don't get me wrong, he was a great man and taught me morals and the value of hard work, but I was mostly raised by my nanny, and she always insisted that love was the most powerful force in the universe, and I believe that even more now."

I smiled widely. "Remind me to thank her then."

He chuckled. "Will do. Now take your pick so we can be off."

"And my handmaidens will accompany us to the costal estate?" I questioned.

"They won't accompany us, they'll accompany _you_…whenever you want them for whatever reason."

"What if I just want to spend all day every day in bed with you?"

He smirked. "Then that's what we'll do. Still, it's a handmaiden's job to accompany you wherever you go, so that means whoever you pick will have to come with us."

I looked over the group of girls convened there, and considered it. There were very few who I had ever had a friendly conversation with, but I did grow to care about them and I'd hate for any of them to be thrown on the streets just because my husband believed in monogamy. At the same time however, I knew what it was like to be somewhere against my will, and we were traveling far so I didn't want to force any of them.

"I'll take whoever wants to go," I said with a smile.

"Oh, I'm going for sure then!" Bree shouted enthusiastically.

"It's pretty far from your family," I warned her.

"I wasn't expecting to ever see them again anyway, and we'll still be able to write," Bree replied unconcerned.

"Okay then, I guess that's one. Anyone else?" I asked them.

One by one they all began raising their hands. I took a few minutes to talk to them all individually, and each seemed legitimately pleased about becoming one of my handmaidens, but then again, why wouldn't they be. According to Edward, a handmaiden was allowed to have a life outside the palace, and could even marry anyone she wanted as long as I gave my blessing. In that kingdom, during that time, there were few better positions for a servant, so they were all happy to be given the opportunity, and I was happy to have them.

Accompanied by two dozen guards, our small convoy made our way in covered carriages to the coastal estate where we would all call home for the next undetermined amount of time. I had to admit, the journey was nerve-racking and I spent most of it scared to death of a rebel attack, but thankfully we made it uneventfully after just two days.

When we arrived, I was absolutely stunned into silence by the sight of it; it was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. It was much smaller than the palace, but the structure itself looked as old as the seaside, as if it just grew from the cliffs or jumped right out of a fairytale book.

"Pretty nice, huh?" Edward said casually as I continued to stare.

"That's an understatement," I disagreed. He chuckled lightly, and then helped me out of the carriage.

The next few months were probably the best of my life. Edward and I spent every waking hour together; always touching and kissing, and usually spending our days exploring the grounds or just lounging around lazily in our private rooms. The beach was definitely a favorite spot of ours, as was the surrounding wooded mountain trails. I even managed to ignore the following royal guards that came with us every time we left the security of the building. They just became part of the scenery in Edward's and my own personal piece of serenity.

If it wasn't for my growing abdomen, I wouldn't have even noticed the passing time, but every once in a while I'd catch myself wondering about the pending Cullen attack. Obviously, without my or Rose's help, they were unable to keep to their normal plan because they absolutely needed the layout of the castle for the attack to be successful, but I knew they would eventually come up with a different plan. As long as the Aro's family was in power, the Cullens would be working to take them down… but I couldn't focus on them anymore; my life was about Edward and our baby. There has always been a monarchy, and there have always been those who unsuccessfully plotted against them; everything was going to be fine, I had to believe that.

I woke up one morning unusually cold, and realized I was alone. It was the first time since arriving that I had no idea where my husband had gone, but I quickly smiled to myself knowing it was just another of his childish games that I found myself often playing with him. On his pillow, was a note –

'_My Love,  
I could watch you sleep forever, but today I thought we'd try something different._  
_I've left clues to my location all over the estate….Come and find me.  
~Edward' _

I joyfully got out of bed, and quickly dressed for the hunt. Edward was the exact opposite of what anyone would think of a royal being. He was playful and light, and he loved to laugh about anything and everything. I had always been so serious in my childhood, so I never really knew what it was like to just relax and have fun, but to Edward, that was important. In the beginning I couldn't understand how he could be so carefree amid all the horrors the kingdom was afflicted with, but I quickly realized that it was his zest for life that would protect him from the darkness. He looked at the world innocently, and he either refused to see the bad, or simply chose to not let it bring him down; either way, I was grateful for it, and that was exactly what I loved most about him.

I went into the washroom to clean myself up, and on the vanity I found his first clue – it was a jar of peanut paste. I immediately knew where to go next, so I grabbed the jar and hurried to the kitchen.

"Good morning, my lady," the cook said with a curtsy. "What can I get you for breakfast?"

"Oh, good morning, Mary. Nothing right now, but thank you," I told her. I had previously asked the staff there to call me by my first name and to allow me to do things for myself, but it didn't matter, they always would agree but never follow through. But still, everyone seemed happy and well taken care of there, so that made me feel a little better about myself.

"I can cook you up anything you'd like," she continued.

"I'm really not hungry right now," I assured her.

"But the king wouldn't like you skipping meals," she said worriedly. Even though we were on the opposite side of the country, the king was still heavy on everyone's minds. They were often concerned that the king would punish them for my behavior, especially when it came to my diet whilst pregnant with an heir.

"Mary, I will eat, just not at the moment… Have you seen Edward?" I asked her.

"The prince was in here earlier, but I haven't seen him in a while," she said regretfully.

"Ok, no worries," I said before going into the pantry to return the peanut paste. In the place where the jar usually went, there was another clue – a yellow rose. I brought the flower up to my nose and inhaled it deep into my lungs, before hurrying out towards the garden. I didn't know what I'd find in the garden, but I certainly didn't expect what was there.

"Stella!" I said happily as I grabbed her reins. Edward had given me the horse after we arrived, but I wasn't allowed to ride her due to my 'condition', so I was rather surprised to see her there, alone none the less. "Have you been eating the lawn?" I asked in a faux scolding tone. "Come on, let's go get you back to the pasture."

I led her back to graze in a more appropriate location, and there I found Edward, waiting for me with a huge grin on his face. "You found me," he said.

"Well, it's not like it was very difficult," I teased before wrapping my arms around him. "You know, you're lucky Stella loves me so much, otherwise she might have run away."

"Nah, I put a bucket of apples out there so she would stay put. Besides, any creature would be nuts to run from you," he said before kissing me tenderly.

"Just remember that," I said against his lips.

"Run? We're married, I couldn't get away from you even if I wanted to."

"You could always have me killed," I joked, but realized that it may have crossed the line considering the fact that the king actually did have a few of his wives killed in the past.

Edward stared at me blankly for a minute, and then shook his head. "No, not while you're pregnant," he said straight faced, but then he broke and laughed.

"You better watch it, I know how to use a dagger," I warned him lightly.

"I know, I've seen yours," he said strangely, but before I could question him, he changed the subject. "So you ready to go?"

"Go where?" I asked.

"For a ride, of course. Poor Stella hasn't been out of the pasture in weeks."

"I thought I wasn't allowed to ride until after the baby is born?"

He shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to go slow then."

"Really?" I asked, having a hard time containing my excitement.

"Yeah, come on, I'll help you up," he said before lifting me completely onto the horse's back.

"The king would have our heads for this," I mumbled.

Edward huffed. "Like I would ever put you or the baby in any danger. I swear, that man needs to just leave us the hell alone and let me take care of my own family," he said bitterly.

We had been blissfully happy since moving away, but Edward must have had some kind of contact with the king that I wasn't aware of for him to still be so angry in that moment.

"Edward….when do we have to go back?" I asked hesitantly while rubbing my rounded stomach.

"It depends," he said as he mounted his horse.

"Depends on what?" I asked slightly concerned.

"On what the baby is," he replied evenly before kicking his horse to walk on. He didn't elaborate on the topic, but I didn't need him to either because I understood. If the baby turned out to be a boy, we would have to return right away so he could be 'properly' raised; if it was a girl, we could stay until a boy was born at a later date. It was safe to say we were both hoping for a girl.

We rode carefully out to his desired location, and then I was wonderfully treated to a surprise breakfast picnic on a cliff overlooking the ocean. "This is so beautiful," I commented on our surroundings.

"Yeah, it is," he said while looking at me with a meaningful smile, which made me blush. It didn't matter that we were always together and continued to make love every night, he always looked at me like I was the moon to his sky. It was a look that I prayed would always be there.

He wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me gently as he rubbed my stomach tenderly. "No matter where we live, we'll always be just like this…together," he cooed in my ear.

"Promise me," I demanded.

"I promise."


	12. Seasons of Change

Chapter XII – _Seasons Of Change_

When the leaves began to change color, and the wind rolled in crisp waves from the east, we knew autumn had arrived, and with it, came a fully developed baby in my abdomen.

It was time.

The king had sent a team of the best midwives in the kingdom to ensure a healthy delivery, but I knew a live birth had little to do with the medical care provided. My uncle Carlisle always said - _"Man can only do so much, and then we have to let god take control,"_ - which was never truer than in childbirth. The mortality rate of women giving birth was high, and as my labor intensified, Edward became increasingly anxious.

"That level of pain isn't normal. Fix it!" he snapped at the midwife as I huffed through a contraction. I was trying to be strong and show as little of my discomfort as possible, but Edward could see it in my eyes, and I knew he was terrified.

"Edward, I'm fine, trust me," I tried convincing him, but he just ignored me.

"My Lord, childbirth is a very painful experience, but I assure you, she is doing remarkably well," the head midwife said nervously.

"If she dies…" Edward began, but let his words trail off, however the midwife still seemed to take his incomplete threat seriously.

"The king has already made the consequences of failure perfectly clear, sire," the midwife mumbled.

"I'm NOT GOING TO DIE!" I exploded. Edward and the three midwives in the room looked at me stunned by my outburst, but that was exactly what I was hoping for. "I need everyone to just calm down, and let me do this," I told them.

"My love," Edward started to say, but I cut him off.

"No! I'm fine; _we're_ fine," I said referring to the baby and myself. "Women do this every day all over the world, so please, just stop."

"I just can't lose you," Edward said solemnly.

"You won't. Trust my body to do what it knows how to do."

He nodded apologetically. "I'll be right out here if you need anything," he said intensely before kissing my forehead and finally backing out of the room. He had told me in the beginning that he would stay in the room for the birth if I wanted him to, which was unheard of by most standards, but I preferred that he stayed out for the most part. The last thing I wanted was for him to really see me in that state. The birthing room was for women, as the way it should always stay. Men could handle the battlefield, but to see the women they loved birthing babies would be enough to take down even the strongest man.

Angela was there beside me, as was Bree, and two of my other handmaidens that I had grown close to during my time at the estate, so I was as comfortable as I could be. The only other person I wished could have been there with me was my mother. Traditionally, it was mothers who helped their grown daughters through their births, and I longed for mine more than ever. However, even though I never believed in spirits or ghosts, in that moment, I truly felt her presence there. She was with me, even if I couldn't see her.

I huffed through two more achingly long hours of labor, before I pushed one last time, and out it came… screaming beautifully. "It's healthy," a midwife said relieved.

"I'll go get the prince," Angela whispered before quickly departing the room to retrieve my husband.

Two other midwives were tending to the baby and one was finishing with me, so when Edward came in, he checked on me first. "You did it," he murmured lovingly while kissing my hair.

"Is it ok?" I asked, because despite hearing the midwife say it was healthy, I had yet to hold the baby or even see it for myself.

"Well, it definitely has strong lungs," Edward said with a laugh before kissing me again, and then walking over to where the baby was being cleaned up. After a few more minutes, Edward finally brought our baby over to me, and laid it in my arms. I had never seen anything more beautiful…I didn't even know that level of perfection existed before that moment. As glorious as Edward was, unbelievably, our baby was even more so. I looked up at Edward with tears distorting my vision, but for a brief moment, I could have sworn he looked the slightest bit disappointed. "It's a boy," he said with a heavy smile.

In the time it took to move my head so I was looking at the baby in my arms again, I felt Edward's regret. Having a boy first only meant we would have to return to the palace, which neither of us ever really wanted to again, but when my eyes met my son's for the first time, no girl could ever compare. He was ours, and I wouldn't let the king or anyone else take him from us.

Edward bent down to be closer to me, and I could actually feel his bittersweet emotions wash away as he basked in our son's presence right along with me. "He's absolutely perfect," he whispered.

I laughed once. "Were you expecting anything less?"

He lifted our son's tiny hand to his lips, and kissed it gently. "Of course not; not a child coming from you."

"From _us_," I corrected.

"Thank you, Bella," he said unexpectedly.

I couldn't help but smile at him. "For what?"

"For him; for you….For giving me a family again," he said simply.

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just told him that I loved him while caressing his face. "So, I guess it's time to head back to the palace?" I sighed.

"Well, fortunately for us, the weather is too cold to travel with an infant. We'll have to wait until spring," he said with a smile in his voice.

"That's definitely a good thing," I said gratefully. He leaned in and kissed my lips tenderly again, and then we both returned our gaze to our amazing perfect little baby boy.

…

As fall turned into winter, snow settled on the land and the rivers froze over, and our lives were completely changed forever. The world seemed like a different place since our son was born, a better place, but so much more terrifying. What horrors would he have to face in his life time? Because of his lineage, our little innocent baby already had a target on him, and I couldn't imagine anything worse. The idea of people plotting to kill my son was beyond the worst feeling in the world, and surprisingly, when I thought of the Cullens and the rest of my family, I actually had feelings of hate towards them. But they were my past, and my entire future was dedicated to the Volterrian monarchy. It was the exact opposite of how I imagined my life turning, but I couldn't possibly be happier.

"Hello, my loves," Edward said before kissing my and our son's heads when he entered the room. We spent most of our time together, but he had been helping with the horses due to the colder than normal temperatures, so I hadn't seen him in a few hours…which was a lot for us.

"How are the horses?" I asked him.

"Fed, watered, and clean; they're as good as they can be for an evening such as this," he told me.

He reached down and lifted our son out of my arms, and took him over to the rocking chair by the window. Watching them together had to be the absolute highlight of my day; they were completely enamored by each other, constantly cooing back and forth, or just simply sitting together entirely content. I had no idea what the future would bring, but I knew for a fact that their bond would always be stronger than anything.

"Are they warm?" I asked Edward of the horses.

"They're comfortable enough," he said as he continued to rock the baby. I walked over to them and peered over his shoulder at our son.

"I think it's safe to say he's sleeping," I told him quietly with a smile.

"I know, but I haven't seen him for a few hours, so I wanted to hold him for a bit before bed," he replied.

"Okay," I told him, and then I casually went back to recline on the bed. "But I was actually thinking about what you said earlier about getting a nanny."

"And?" he asked eagerly.

I smiled playfully. "I suppose I could see your point about the perks, especially now that he sleeps through the night."

"Really?" he asked with the widest grin I had ever seen on his face. "You know, this estate may just be housing several perfect potential nannies as we speak. I could go round them up then let you take your pick, that way she could take over baby duties tonight."

"You brought the nannies the king wanted us to pick from here?" I asked surprised. "Or are you thinking about giving one of my handmaidens a new title…because let me tell you, I love those ladies, but they are not qualified to care for an infant."

"I did not bring any of Aro's approved nannies, but he's going to accept whoever you choose because that was part of our deal…as long as she follows a few of his future educational guidelines, that is."

"Meaning?"

"She won't be able to tutor and educate him, but she can help us care for him in any other way."

"Okay, look, you know I'm not comfortable about the idea of someone else raising our baby, but…if you promise it'll just be on my terms, I'll agree to it," I told him sternly…but with a smile, of course.

"Perfect. I'll go get them," he said before handing the baby back to me, and then racing out of the room.

He was literally back in ten minutes, and with him were five women, all of which looked to be in their late thirties to mid-forties.

"Okay, all of these fine ladies have a ton of experience with children, and know exactly what goes into being a nanny. The first one is Miss Kay, who is actually a grandmother of fifteen, if you can believe it; next to her is Miss Margret, a seasoned nanny who helped raise over twenty five children…"

Edward continued going down the line of all the overly qualified women, but when he got to the last woman, who looked to be one of the youngest in the group, I noticed something odd. She looked at him adoringly, and even reached out to caress his face in a loving maternal type of way.

"And this is Siobhan. She's only been a nanny once before, but I can assure you she's very good at it," he said while looking at her and winking.

"Am I missing something?" I asked with a smile.

Edward tried to stiffen up his features, but he wasn't very successful. "Nope. The choice is yours, and I'll leave you to it," he said before kissing my forehead and then heading for the door. "I'll be back in an hour or so, so pick fast," he told me with wiggling brows, before disappearing down the hall.

"Okay," I said awkwardly as I looked up and down the women standing there staring at me. I took each woman aside to talk to them for a bit, and watched them interact with my son, but when I reached the last woman, the answer quickly became obvious. The woman actually began crying the moment I placed the baby in her arms…_like, really crying_.

"Um…Miss Siobhan, are you okay?" I asked her concerned.

"He's so beautiful," she said through her tears. "I was starting to think I'd never see this day."

"Why?" I asked confused.

She hesitated, but then she stared off into some distant memory. "Edward…he was always such a loving child, but with the turn of events as a result of Caius' death, I was worried he'd never find true happiness and it would break his spirit."

I smiled in understanding. "You were his nanny, weren't you?"

She smiled back at me, and I couldn't help but notice the overwhelming warmth that radiated off of her. "I'm sorry, my lady, I asked Edward not to tell you, and here I opened my big mouth."

"Why didn't you want him telling me?" I asked confused.

"I wanted you to pick unbiasedly. If you feel one of the others would be a better fit, I certainly understand that," she said before looking back down at the baby and kissing his head. "I'm just grateful I got to meet him."

"Well, I'm grateful for the incredible man Edward has become, and I owe that all to you. I would have to be mad to not want that for my son as well. I'd love for you to be his nanny," I said wholeheartedly.

Siobhan was more than warmth, she was a true gentle soul, but as I watched her cooing at my son, I saw something else, something fiercer that made me believe she would not only love him, she would also protect him with her life. I knew I could trust her, and I actually felt a level of comfort I never expected to feel with a stranger. I'd still want to take care of most of the baby's needs myself, but on days like that evening, when I really yearned for a little uninterrupted Edward time, having a nanny I could count on like Siobhan was going to make all the difference.

"Oh, my lady, I would be honored," Siobhan said sincerely. "I can take him to the nursery for the night now, if you'd like?"

"That would be wonderful. He just ate so he should probably be fine until just before dawn, and I'll be up to feed him then."

"Don't worry about a thing, your highness, he's in good hands," she assured me.

"I believe it," I replied. I kissed my son goodnight, and then eagerly awaited my husband's return.

"So, what'd you decide?" Edward asked when he came back in the room. He looked in the empty bassinet and must have assumed I finally picked a nanny.

"He's in the nursery with Siobhan," I said with a smile.

"Perfect. Good choice," Edward said, suddenly unconcerned about the baby and completely focused on the removal of his clothes.

"A little eager, are we?" I said with a giggle. "Aren't you supposed to be taking off _my_ clothes?"

"Oh, I'm definitely taking yours off too," he said without pausing. He climbed onto the bed, and his lips attached themselves to my neck as he untied my dress. The clothes that were made for me were typically difficult to get out of, but by that time, Edward had become an expert at it; in fact, he was better at getting my dresses off than I was.

We made love throughout the night, and after I snuck away once to feed the baby, I returned to my sleeping husband and we both slumbered until the late morning. We would have stayed in bed wrapped up together all day, but we both quickly became anxious to spend time with our son…

Our lives in the coastal estate were simple, and absolutely perfect. We were able to spend our days together getting to know our son and becoming closer as a family, and I knew I would always look back on that period as the best of my life. But the warm weather of spring was looming, and we could actually feel the change blowing in.

"We'll never get to be like this again, will we?" I asked Edward solemnly as I looked out at the clear blue sky through our bedroom window. Our time of just being a family was over, we would all have jobs to do and roles to play once we left there. Even our baby would be stripped of his childhood and thrust into the life of a royal. Our little Anthony would be known as 'Prince Anthony, second in line to the Volterrian throne'. He would be taught his duties from day one, and probably never allowed to have a moment of innocent mischief. It wasn't fair.

Edward wrapped his arms around me from behind, and then kissed my neck. "Everything will be ok. No matter what, as long as we're together, nothing bad can happen," he murmured.

"Promise me," I demanded.

"I promise. The three of us will always be together…nothing can change that."

I nodded, but still wasn't confident. Perhaps it was just nerves, but my gut was telling me that trouble was definitely headed our way.

I turned around so I was facing him, and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Can't we just…leave?" I asked, knowing it wasn't really possible but hoping just the same.

"And where would we go?" he asked with a smile.

"Anywhere….just not back to the king. Everything inside of me is screaming for us to just run from this, and for the life of me, I can't shake the feeling. I just know that going to the palace is a mistake."

"My love, you only feel that way because of how it was when we were there before, but everything has changed since then. We're married, we have our son, and no one, not even the king, is going to try to separate us. You'll see, as soon as we get settled in, you'll realize that we can be happy there too. I bet you will hardly even see the king, and the staff there is like extended family, right?"

"I guess," I agreed, and even though his words didn't ease my anxiety, we didn't have a choice, so I was going to try to keep a positive attitude.

It would be a two day carriage trip to the palace, and I had never been more terrified to travel in all my life. Not even when I was alone running for my life was I as scared as I was then; the threat of rebel conflict was just too great. If they were able to assassinate Caius so easily, I knew we ran an even bigger risk. Caius was a skilled fighter, taught his entire life how to defend himself, whereas Edward was a stable boy, and we had our son to protect…we didn't stand a chance if we were attacked.

Edward tried reassuring me, but I knew he shared my fear, so much so that he made an unexpected decision. Instead of taking a large convoy of carriages and guards for protection, Edward took a chance and only brought two guards; the driver, and the footman. Siobhan, Angela, and Bree traveled in our carriage with us, but everyone else planned to follow behind a few days later. It was a risky move, but he was convinced that it was a smarter idea to travel more inconspicuously. Having a bunch of escorts would draw far too much unwanted attention, and that was the last thing we needed.

It turned out to be a brilliant decision, because even in the more crowded stretches we passed, nobody gave us a second look, and our trip was once again thankfully uneventful. As we pulled up to the palace however, I knew the real challenge was just about to begin…

* * *

*****A/N:** We've reached the end of my pre-written story, now it's all going to be fresh and new for everyone. _Yay!_ I can't tell you how much longer it will be, because I just don't know. HEA is guaranteed, but we still have a few bumps to get us there. Updates may take longer, but I promise this story will be completed :)


	13. Subtle Threats

Chapter XIII – _Subtle Threats_

"My dearest ones, how joyous I am of your return!" Aro announced as he greeted us at the palace door.

His friendliness made me pause in my step, and I looked at Edward questioningly. He returned my confused glance, but strangely shrugged it off. "Father," he said coldly.

"Oh, how long I've waited to see my grandson. What a blessed day," Aro said as he peered at my son, sleeping peacefully in my arms. "He is simply remarkable. And how about you, my sweet daughter, how have you faired into motherhood?" he asked me.

"Um…great," I said uncomfortably. I knew enough about Aro to know that he was never more dangerous than when he was pretending to be nice, so I immediately threw my guard up.

"Well, let us continue the celebration of your homecoming inside, shall we," Aro said. "Come, dinner is served."

Edward shot me an apologetic look, and then we both sighed simultaneously.

"My lady, may I take Anthony to the nursery while you eat?" Siobhan asked.

"Oh." I looked down at my precious baby and let out the tiniest whimper. I didn't want to be separated from him, especially not in that horrid place. "I think…"

"Of course you can," Edward cut me off. "Thank you, Siobhan."

She looked at me concerned, and when Edward nodded at her, she hesitantly took the baby out of my arms. "He's in good hands. Don't you worry one bit," she murmured supportively.

"Thank you," I mumbled to her, suddenly feeling like my throat was being constricted. Watching her walk away with my baby in that place was the single hardest thing I ever had to do. I hated the palace, and I hated being separated from my baby with that monster on the loose even more.

I took a deep breath.

"Everything will be fine," Edward whispered to me while rubbing my back, but his reassurance didn't make me feel better, in fact, it almost brought me to tears.

I took another deep breath.

The three of us sat at the dining room table, and it had to be the most awkward thing I ever experienced. The table was huge – much too large for three people, but Edward and Aro seemed perfectly at ease there. Edward was seated across from me, and Aro sat at the head of the table to my right. It honestly gave me the willies.

"Isn't this wonderful?" Aro asked whimsically. "Our family is finally whole again. If only your brother was still alive, everything would have been perfect."

"Yes, everything would be perfect because Bella and I would be raising our son on a distant farm someplace," Edward said bitterly.

Aro sighed. "Everything happens for a reason, my dear boy. Caius was reckless; you will be ten times the king he would have been."

"Yeah well, I think even one of your illiterate guards could be ten times the king Caius would have been," Edward replied coldly.

"Caius was ordained by _God!_" Aro snapped unexpectedly.

"And now he's dead," Edward said callously. "I guess that means God changed his mind about him."

"Life is a fragile thing, my son, best not forget that," Aro threatened him.

Edward smirked. "You're the one who shouldn't forget."

Aro smiled sadistically, and then leaned back in his seat casually. "Tell me, what would you say to your son if he hated you as much as you hate me?"

"My son would never hate me as much as I hate you, because I'm not a monster the way you are," Edward replied.

"We all do what we must to get by, Edward," Aro said unfazed, and then he turned his underlying threats to me. "Tell me, my dear; are you with child at the moment?"

"Could be," Edward answered without hesitation. "We certainly have been doing plenty of practice for baby number two. She's going to just keep popping them out one after the other."

Aro glared at him for a moment, and then smiled. "Splendid. We will have a whole mess of children running around here in no time. Though, I do have to say, often when you have multiple potential heirs, they end up killing each other for the throne."

"I'm not worried about it," Edward said evenly.

I couldn't take it anymore, so I excused myself from the table, and hurried to find my son. Edward's and Aro's conversation was subtle yet terrifying, and I wouldn't feel comfortable until I was holding my baby again.

I wasn't exactly sure where the palace nursery was since I wasn't allowed in that area before, but thankfully Angela was waiting nearby and showed me the way.

"How was dinner?" she asked me carefully, knowing I retreated early.

"Ugh, I just don't know how we're going to survive here…metaphorically and literally."

"The adjustment will be tough," Angela agreed. "But you do have a wonderful support system," she semi-joked.

I smiled at her. "I do have a remarkable team," I agreed sincerely. "At least I hope I do."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't know, I just…I know how easily traitors can infiltrate the palace," I said, suddenly becoming paranoid. The king may have just threatened me - _again_ - but the even greater threat would always be the rebels, and I couldn't forget that while in the palace even for a moment.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that with us. I've known most of your handmaidens for years, and they are all very loyal. And Siobhan, I have never seen a more attentive, dedicated nanny than her. Most nannies leave once their charges are of age, but Siobhan has remained close to the prince…the way a mother would. You and your son are safe around all of us."

I smiled heavy-heartedly. "I know…I guess I'm more worried about others who may be here; hidden conspirators and such. I remember, not long ago when I was a maidservant, I heard whispers of overthrowing the monarchy…I'm just afraid for my son, that's all."

"Everyone who works here at the palace is thoroughly screened. It would be next to impossible for a terrorist to get a place here," Angela tried reassuring me, but I knew better.

"I wish that were true," I said with a sigh. "Angela… What if…" I hesitated.

"My lady, whatever you want to ask, I can assure will stay between us. I am _your_ Lady in Waiting; your confidant. My loyalties are always to you, no matter what. I will take your secrets to the grave," Angela said with conviction.

I smiled again. Of course I trusted Angela, but I still had to be careful. "What if…I knew something about the rebels?... What if I knew of someone here who was with them? This person is good, and only conspiring because they feel it would save lives to take down the king…I don't want this person killed, but I don't want them here either. How would I go about getting them gone?" I asked, thinking about Jacob.

I had secretly hoped Jacob's little attack would have occurred while we were at the coastal estate and he was able to take out the king without ever putting Edward or Anthony in harm's way, but I suppose that would defeat his purpose; they wanted to take out the entire monarchy, so they'd wait for them to all be together…they'd wait for a time like now.

I had no way of knowing if Jacob was even still on the grounds or not, he could have left at any time to try planning something different, but if he was still posing as a groundskeeper, my son certainly wasn't safe.

Angela considered my question. "With these types of things, there is no easy way of handling it. Rebels may be driven from a good place, but they're dangerous, and you have to put your child first. I can't imagine a single complaint you could make that would get this conspirator out of his position here without it costing him his life. Aro doesn't take to failure, and he doesn't just let people go… Think of your child, and how to keep him safe," she said remorsefully.

I took a deep breath. "I understand," I said, but that didn't mean I knew what I was going to do yet. Jacob was like a brother to me, I couldn't have him killed, but I couldn't risk Anthony either…I needed to figure out a way to find out for myself if he was still there, and then secretly beg him to leave.

When we finally reached the nursery, I was relieved and comforted to see my precious baby sleeping peacefully in the basinet there, with Siobhan sitting close by silently reading to herself.

"Oh, finished already?" Siobhan asked when she noticed me there.

"I just couldn't stay away. How's he doing?" I asked her.

"Sleeping like the angel he is," she answered with a loving smile.

"I'm glad you're here, Siobhan," I said sincerely.

"I'm glad to be here," she replied.

Siobhan, Angela, and I talked for a while casually, but thoughts of Jacob and the rebels weighed heavily on my mind… and then I started thinking about Emmett. I hated that it had been almost two years since his capture, and for his sake, I hoped he was already executed. Spending that long in a dungeon would have been pure torture….but…on the off chance that Carlisle was correct in thinking he was in the palace dungeon, I had to use my new position to try to find him.

Edward had spent most of the evening catching up on his royal duties with the king, and he didn't come to bed until almost dawn, so he was still sleeping when I got up the next morning. I wanted to lie in bed with him until he awoke, but I just couldn't remain inactive for a minute longer. I went to the nursery, kissed and fed my son, then left him to go for a walk of the grounds. I needed to see if I could find Jacob, and I needed to see if I could find the palace dungeon. I couldn't rest properly until I accomplished both those tasks.

I first walked through the groundkeeper area, but I was both disappointed and relieved that I didn't see Jacob anywhere, so then I started looking for the dungeon.

"My lady, is there something you're looking for in particular?" a man asked from behind me.

I turned and saw a guard there, and realized he had probably been following me the entire time. "Are you my personal guard?" I asked him.

"Yes, ma'am."

"And you have to follow me everywhere I go?" I assumed.

"Yes, my apologies, your highness; king's orders," he explained.

"Of course it is," I said bitterly, and then I bit my lower lip as I considered what to do next. "What's your name?" I asked him.

"Seth," he said with a wide grin.

"Well Seth, I'll let you in on a little secret - I'm bored," I told him. "I heard from the servants that there's a dungeon here on the grounds, and I was hoping to find it; I've always wanted to see a real dungeon…but I know the king wouldn't be too happy about me exploring such a place…"

"Oh, I wouldn't tell him anything you wouldn't want me to, ma'am," he said with a smile.

"Perfect. Can you show me where the dungeon is?"

"Of course," he said proudly before turning to lead the way. I followed him to the other side of the palace grounds, and then he showed me the passage that led underground. "It's right through here, mistress."

I was surprised by just how unguarded the area was, but as soon as we made it to the cells, I realized why. "It's empty," I said, unsure how to feel.

"Yeah, been that way for a while now. The king didn't like keeping prisoners so close to where he slept…or something like that."

"Oh…so, there are no active dungeons here on the grounds at all?" I asked, feeling hopeless about the situation.

"No ma'am. The closest one to here would be about twenty miles south of the palace gates. I wouldn't go there hoping to see too many prisoners though, the king rarely lets anyone live longer than a week."

I took a deep breath, and then nodded. That was it. There was no more I could do for Emmett, and I doubted he was even alive anymore anyway. I didn't have any other choice but to let him go completely. I'd always hold my brother in my heart, but that was where he'd have to stay.

"Thank you, Seth, I really appreciate it," I said sincerely.

"You remembered my name!" he said excitedly.

"Well, of course I did."

"Usually the monarchy just calls us by our ranks or position…. Anytime you need me, for any reason, I'm here for you, my lady."

"Thanks again, Seth," I said with a polite smile, and then I gestured for him to lead the way back out of the dark damp dungeon.

When we emerge back into the daylight, however, we were met by an unexpected visitor. "Your majesty," Seth said while immediately dropping to the ground and bowing before the king.

"Aww, there you are, my daughter. I have been looking for you for quite some time. Strange to find you here, of all places," Aro said in his sickly sweet tone.

"I was…just taking the liberty to explore places I never got to before as a servant," I admitted.

"I see…Still, this is no place for a princess. Please come with me back to the palace, I have some jobs I need you to handle for me."

"Jobs?" I asked confused.

"Yes, jobs that can only be taken care of by the future queen."

"Oh… Yes, of course, but it'll have to wait, I need to be getting back to Anthony soon for a feeding," I said awkwardly.

"Wait? I don't believe I've ever had anyone ask me to wait on anything…except for Edward, of course. Seems to be a theme with you two. Hmm, I do wonder who is influencing who in your relationship."

"We're just like-minded, I suppose," I said as graciously as possible.

"That's too bad. I've always believed one's perfect partner was their opposite; someone who pushes the other to become better than they already are."

I scrunched my brows. "How did that work for you in all your marriages?" I asked brazenly.

He smirked. "Oh, how I do like your spunk, young one."

"So you've told me…on more than one occasion," I said evenly.

"Indeed," he agreed. "Come, you have much to do."

"I must attend to Anthony," I disputed.

"He has a nanny for that. Your job is to be the princess and handle the princess' duties."

"And I will do that the moment Anthony is fed," I said before turning and heading back to the palace; thankfully, the king didn't follow.

After I fed the baby, I kissed his little dimples, and then grudging let Angela lead me back to the king to handle whatever it was he wanted me to handle. _What was a princess' job anyway?_

"The king will have you making all the little decisions that aren't worth his or the prince's time," Angela explained as we walked through the halls of the palace. "It is also your job to keep in social contact with the neighboring nations. The king handles treaties and such, but you have to keep the good relations. I'm sure you'll do our kingdom a lot of good in that department. Aro doesn't have the best reputation with other kingdoms."

"Why am I not surprised," I said with a light laugh.

"I can't imagine how overwhelmed you must be right now," Angela said sympathetically. "Going from a maidservant, to chambermaid, to princess….all within a little over a year's time; I just can't imagine."

"I was a concubine too," I pointed out.

"Oh my, I wasn't aware of that," she said apologetically. "You have definitely been caught in whirlwind, haven't you?"

"That's okay, I like a challenge," I joked. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't very good at any of those jobs…well, I suppose I was a good concubine. Edward was definitely satisfied, and that was the whole point to the job," I said lightly. "I hope I'm a better princess, though. I don't care about the job itself, but I do want to do well for Edward's and Anthony's sake. The king never hesitated to get rid of his wives when he wasn't happy with them in the past, I just don't want to give Aro any reason to try to do the same with me," I said honestly.

"But you have already birthed an heir, I'm sure that the king is plenty happy with you."

"I hope that's all it takes to gain his approval. Edward already had to fight for me a few times, I don't want him to have to keep doing that…he might not always win," I said solemnly.

"At least you have love on your side, which is more than any of the former princesses and queens had."

"I suppose," I agreed.

After making our way to Aro, I was instructed what to do, and I immediately got to work. I was never the most social of people, so I knew it was going to be a challenge, but it was one I'd happily take on because, again, I was still incredibly grateful to be in my position instead of being in a grave like I would have been already had I not been allowed to marry Edward.

The work was monotonous and boring, even more so than the manual labor I had done in the palace as a servant, but worst of all, I missed my baby. It was the longest I had ever been away from him, and it was making me anxious.

"I think I'm going to take leave for a while," I announced to the men the king had left to advise me.

"The king needs these things done today," one man argued.

"Well, they'll have to wait. My son needs feeding, and I need some fresh air," I told him.

"We don't have time to wait," he tried convincing me.

"Sorry," I said, unconcerned.

I got up and headed back to the nursery, but I was strangely stopped several times before I could get there. Maidservants needing something, chambermaids, even my own handmaidens seemed to be trying to delay my return to my son.

"Okay, what's going on here?" I asked perturbed.

"I'm sorry, my lady, the king told us to stall you," one of my handmaidens admitted.

"Why?" I asked, and that was when I heard my baby's screams….


	14. Wedge Attempts

Chapter XIV – _Wedge Attempts _

His screams weren't the normal cries of a hungry baby - they were deafening, as if he was being tortured. I couldn't even bring myself to consider what was being done to him; I just had to get inside to protect him…

"Move aside!" I yelled at the guards blocking my entrance.

"I'm sorry, my lady, King's orders. No ones in, no ones out…including yous," the guard said apologetically.

"Are you insane? They're hurting him!" I cried as I tried to shove past them regardless of their stance.

"You knows we'd let yous in there if we could," the other guard said sympathetically. "The king will have our heads, he will."

Without giving it another thought, I reacted. I grabbed the dagger hanging from one of their belts, and shoved it in the other's face. "If you don't let me in there, I'll have your head right _now!_" I threatened him.

"I'm sorry, my lady, you may kill me now, but the king wills kill my whole family if I let you in there," the guard said, refusing to budge despite the blade to his throat.

"I'll take responsibility. Now, move aside," a voice said from behind. I turned and was grateful to see Seth there, backing me up.

"But…" one of the guards was about to argue, but whatever gesture Seth made convinced him to comply. "Yes, sir," he said before moving out of the way.

"Man, it's nice to outrank people," Seth said excitedly as the other guard moved as well.

"Thank you, Seth," I said quickly but sincerely, and then I pushed the heavy double doors open, and was absolutely shocked by what I saw. I had no idea what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn't expecting _that_…

"What are you doing?" I said forcefully as I ran to my baby and grabbed him out of the strange woman's arms.

"I was only trying to feed him, my lady," she said as she covered herself up. "I'm the nurse the king hired… but I do have to say, I've never seen a baby have such an issue with latching on the way he does; he wouldn't stop crying a moment to suckle."

"I have no idea why the king brought you here, but your services are not required. You may leave," I told her strongly as I tried calming my son with tears streaming down my own face. I was so angry I was actually shaking from it. What game was the king playing and why? Was he trying to make me useless so he could have me killed? I had so many angry questions, but then one major detail suddenly became apparent. "Where's Siobhan?" I asked when I noticed a different woman standing by the cradle.

"The king has placed me as the new nanny," the stiff looking, older woman said evenly.

"There is absolutely no way I'm leaving you with my son," I said unapologetically. "Where is Siobhan?"

"The guards took her away, obviously," the woman said uncaringly. "She was a servant's nanny, hardly qualified to raise a prince. I know what goes into it, and I will bring him up properly, just as I did with Prince Caius."

I took a deep breath. "Seth, will you please escort these women out of the nursery."

"Yes, ma'am," he said automatically, but then the nanny from hell stopped him.

"I am the boss of the nursery now; the king has left me in charge. I say who stays, and who leaves, and no one else."

I thought about arguing with her some more, but instead I just told her - "Fine, stay here all you want" - before walking right out of there with my son. He had calmed down significantly in my arms, but it was clear he was still hungry, so I took him back to my bedroom and nursed him. He had absolutely no problem latching on, he just wanted me.

When he was fed and changed, I let my anger over the situation refuel, and decided to go find Edward to tell him what happened. He promised he'd stop the king from trying to take the baby from me in any way, and that was exactly what I felt he was trying to do. Edward was going to be just as angry as I was about the situation; I only hoped it didn't create even bigger issues with the king moving forward, but something had to be done, Aro had to be stopped.

There was no way I was leaving my baby with anyone at that point, so I kept him securely in my arms, and asked Angela to lead me to wherever Edward was. The anger was rolling off of me in waves, and I was actually grateful I had Anthony there, because he was just about the only thing that would keep me from going after the king with my rage.

"He should be right through there, but my lady, I don't think…"

I didn't give Angela time to finish her statement, I just stormed right into the room to find Edward, and the moment I was inside, I paused. Edward wasn't alone…not in the least bit.

"Excuse me," I said awkwardly as the room full of important looking men looked up at me. They were all sitting around a massive table, and there appeared to be what looked like battle plans of some sort spread out before them.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Edward asked concerned as he stood and immediately rushed to me.

"Uh…" I said distractedly as I glanced one more time at the plans on the table. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looked like a plan to attack a village, as oppose to some aggressive neighboring kingdom's army, but there was no way Edward would support such a massacre, so I knew I had to have been seeing it wrong.

"Bella, what happened?" Edward asked me intensely.

It took everything I had to tear my eyes away from the table's contents in order to look at my husband. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company," I said jittery.

Edward must have seen my distraction, so he took my arm and gently led me out of the room. "My love, what happened? Why are you upset?"

I blinked once and then refocused on my reason for being there. "Aro…he tried to keep me away from Anthony, and even had guards outside the nursery to keep me out."

"What, why?" Edward asked confused.

"He got a new nanny, and he hired a nurse," I said, letting my anger boil back to the surface. "I found the woman trying to feed him when I got in there!"

Edward stared at me blankly. "Okay?" he asked after a minute. "Was she hurting him?"

"No…not that I could tell, but he definitely refused her."

Edward sighed. "Look, I'll talk to Aro about locking you out of the nursery, that was just simply uncalled for. You should have access to our son any time you want."

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?" I asked incredulously.

"Bella, it's perfectly normal to have a nurse."

"What?" I spat.

"Come on, calm down," he said irritated. "Just because you didn't grow up with that as something families did around you, doesn't make it wrong. Just about every upper class mother hires a nurse to feed her baby these days."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," I said in disbelief. "Sure, hire a nurse if the mother dies in childbirth the way yours did, or if the mother can't nurse for some other reason, but to hire one just for the hell of it is grossly absurd."

"It's not just for the hell of it, there are other reasons," he tried convincing me.

"Like what?" I asked, feeling completely betrayed that he was even attempting to convince me at all.

"Well, for one, nursing makes it impossible for you to get anything done outside of the nursery."

I rolled my eyes. "Do you even know what a princess is expected to do around here? It's laughable and completely unimportant. Taking care of my son is my only concern."

"Fine, don't do any of the princess duties then," Edward relented. "I wouldn't care if you just lay in bed all day."

"But?" I snapped, knowing there was still another 'but' coming.

"But, you certainly aren't going to get pregnant again while nursing," he said unexpectedly.

"Why do I need to get pregnant again so soon?" I asked, slightly calmer. Were the king's threats at the dinner table serious? Was Edward trying to save me by getting me pregnant? My heart began to speed anxiously.

Edward pressed his lips, and then sighed. "The more heirs, the better."

"That's it?" I asked doubtfully.

"It's protection, Bella," he said simply, and that was all the conformation that I needed.

We were both quiet for a moment, and then I looked down at Anthony sleeping peacefully. "Well, the nurse tried, and he wouldn't take her so that means that right now, he needs _me_. The king can threaten me all he wants, but if Anthony will only nurse on me, then that means I'm necessary for his survival. When he gets a little stronger, and starts eating food, then we can have another baby."

Edward took a deep breath. "We need to just…get through this somehow. Find a way to survive here until…" he let his sentence trial off.

"Until what?" I pressed.

He laughed once humorlessly. "I don't know, until Aro is dead. He's not young, or particularly healthy, he can't possibly live forever."

"No, he can't live forever, just long enough to make our lives hell," I said bitterly.

"Look, if Anthony won't take the nurse, then he won't, there's nothing anyone can do about that. I'll tell Aro that and he'll have to back down. Just…keep him in our room for a while until everything calms down."

"What about Siobhan?" I asked concerned.

"I'll see what I can find out about her. I'm sure she's fine."

"I hope you're right," I said quietly.

Edward rubbed my arms supportively, and then leaned in to kiss Anthony's head before kissing me tenderly on the lips. "Everything will be okay," he murmured.

"You keep saying that," I grumbled in disagreement.

"And it will keep being true," he insisted before leaning his head into the crook of my shoulder to kiss my neck. I thought it was just going to be a quick peck and then he'd return to whatever I had just pulled him from, but the kiss shifted into erotic desire.

I giggled, still thinking he'd retreat. "Don't you have people in that room waiting for you?"

"Let them wait," he mumbled unconcerned.

"Taking advantage of your position, I see?" I said playfully. "I bet those men wouldn't wait for a stable boy."

He pulled back to look at me. "This position we're in is like living in hell; every part of it is more horrifying than the last…we may as well take advantage of the few good aspects that come with it."

I couldn't argue with that. "Well, Anthony is sleeping. It would be a good time to…"

Before I had a chance to finish my statement, Edward took my free hand and whisked me away to our bedroom. The moment I placed the baby in the basinet, Edward basically attacked me. It was strangely aggressive and almost angry, which confused me, but I never once felt like that intensity was directed towards me. I wasn't the reason he was upset, he was just using me to relieve it, and I was more than okay with that. I wanted him to rely on me, just as I had relied on him; that was what love and marriage was about.

When we were finished, Edward said he had to get back to his meeting, so he kissed me one more time and then kissed Anthony before disappearing out of the room. I really wished he would talk to me about what was going on, but I could imagine the king threatening him in some way to stay quiet, so I decided not to push him on it. I wasn't there to gain information for the rebels anymore, my days of conspiring were long past, and my loyalty was only to my husband, so as a loyal wife I'd be patient and wait for him to talk to me when he was ready.

For the next two weeks or so, I felt like I was living in limbo. There was no word in Siobhan, and because I refused to leave Anthony for a moment, I basically did nothing but walk the grounds with him hanging in a sling around my neck. But, of course, because I had the heir to the monarchy constantly attached to me, I was followed by no less than five guards at any given time. It felt more like I was being babysat rather than guarded, and although I was grateful Seth was never penalized for getting me into the nursery that day, he too was really starting to irritate me.

"Mistress, you can't go that way," Seth would tell me if I just happened to walk in any direction that wasn't pre-approved by the king. And anytime I'd see a servant or groundskeeper who I had friended in the past, Seth or one of the other guards would automatically stand between us so we couldn't speak or even see one another properly. I honestly felt like a prisoner, with even less freedom than I had as a concubine. It was utterly maddening.

Above everything else, the absolute worst part of our new palace life was the fact that Anthony and I were starting to see Edward less and less. He'd come to the bedroom so late that he'd either immediately crash to sleep, or he'd want to relieve a little of that stress and then fall asleep immediately afterwards, only to leave before I awoke the next morning…and at times, he wouldn't come at all.

"The king must be keeping him pretty busy," Bree commented one evening as we were all sitting together quietly by the fireplace.

"Now you know how we all felt before," one of my other maidservants and former fellow _Three_ mumbled quietly.

"Maybe he has picked some new concubines," Bree said innocently. "I mean, don't men need sex?"

"We have sex," I said defensively, but then added - "occasionally."

"Mmm-hmm," my maidservant said smugly.

"Okay, enough!" Angela yelled at her but looked at all the other girls as well. "There's no need for pointless speculation. The head of guards has been staying here at the palace, which he only does when there are some major events in the works, so of course the prince is busy. Even if he wasn't, Bella certainly doesn't need any of you being disloyal and making her feel insecure about her marriage. You are supposed to be on her side, _always!_ It's your job to make her feel better, not worse. Don't ever forget she chose you to be in this position. You could all be on the streets by now if she didn't let you stay."

"I'm sorry," the maidservant mumbled.

"Me too," Bree agreed. "I shouldn't have said that, Bella. I know Edward loves you and doesn't want any concubines. I apologize."

"It's fine," I told them. The truth was that the palace and its entire staff seemed to be riddled with tension lately, and once again I felt like I was purposely left in the dark as to the source. What was I missing?

…

I used to believe that time made everything better, but that notion proved to be the opposite while living in the palace with Aro; time, only seemed to make everything worse…

"The king has demanded your presence at dinner this evening," I was informed one late afternoon.

"Um…I can't, I have Anthony," I said, surprised by the order. Everyone knew I refused to leave my son, even for something as short as dinner, and for the most part, Aro seemed to let me be, but I immediately put my defenses up knowing there had to be some sort of ulterior motive.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but the king insisted that I tell you that you are not a nanny and he feels it's time to return to your responsibilities as princess, starting tonight," the king's messenger replied apologetically.

"Well, I'm not leaving my son."

The messenger put his finger up to inform me he had more to say on the matter. "The king understands your hesitations, so as a show of good faith, he has brought you a present to ease your concerns," he said before whistling to signal something. A moment later a guard walked through the door, and with him was…

"Siobhan!" I cried in disbelief. I ran to her and immediately embraced her tightly. I pulled back only to look her over and see if she was truly there and unharmed. "Are you okay? Where have you been?"

She smiled with tears in her eyes. "It's of no concern, I'm here now."

"If the king hurt you," I said protectively, but she immediately hushed me.

"I am fine, my lady, nothing I can't handle and have handled before. Everything is set right now, that's all that matters."

I hugged her again, but when I heard the messenger clear his throat, I knew there was more. "What?" I asked him irritated.

"The king will only allow her to stay if you return to your duties as princess, starting tonight. The condition comes with his word that she will not be removed again as long as you stay in line."

I swallowed roughly, then looked between Siobhan and my handmaidens. All offered expressions of support, but it was Siobhan's intense reassurance that finally allowed me to agree to the terms. She stepped closer to me, to whisper – "I have been working for the king for a long time. He is cruel and merciless, but generally keeps his word. I promise you, Anthony will be fine with me tonight."

I nodded to her. "Okay," I said quietly, before turning to the messenger. "Okay, I will come."

"Wonderful," the messenger said with a huff. "But now that this has taken longer than expected, you only have ten minutes to be in the palace foyer; better get changed with haste."

I sighed and then kissed Anthony's perfect little head before reluctantly placing him in Siobhan's arms. I was actually grateful I didn't have much time, because surely I would have psyched myself out of leaving him, but as it was, I didn't even have a moment to worry.

Dinner with the king always meant dressing up; there was no casual with him, so that meant I was in a mad dash to make myself presentable. I put on one of my pre-king-approved dresses, and my handmaidens tried to tame my hair and do my make-up, but with such time restraint there wasn't much that could be done. When I was as good as I was going to get, I kissed my son one more time, and let Angela lead me to the palace foyer where I was supposed to meet the king…and of course he was already there waiting.

"Ahh, finally the princess has returned," Aro said in his usual sickly sweet tone. "My dear, did I not give you enough time to groom yourself properly?" he questioned while examining my appearance.

I huffed. "No, you didn't…but I would like to thank you, my lord, for returning Siobhan to me. You have no idea how much that means."

"Oh, I think I do, which is why I thought to return her," he said smugly. "Hopefully now we can move past the funk you've been in?"

I forced a smile. "Of course."

"Splendid. But oh, how I do wish you looked your best tonight. We have guests."

"Guests?" I asked confused.

"Bella," I heard my name, so I reflexively turned to the sound.

"Edward," I said, excited to see him. For whatever reason, I wasn't expecting him that night, but I was incredibly grateful he was there.

He rushed to close the distance between us, and wrapped me in his arms. "God, I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks," he said into my hair.

I inhaled his scent deep into my lungs, and a tear escaped my eyes and moisten his blouse. "I've missed you so much," I murmured.

He pulled back just enough to cradle my face in his hands, and he kissed me sweetly. "Are you okay, how's Anthony?"

"He's fine; Siobhan has returned."

He smiled then brushed the hair out of my face. "I'm sorry I've been so busy. I promise to find time for us soon."

"If you would just come to bed every night I would be content," I mumbled.

"I…" He was assumedly about to explain his nightly absences, but we were interrupted by the palace announcer.

"From the Kingdom of Ireland, introducing, his majesty, King James the Second, and his daughter, Princess Victoria."

_Royalty?_ I was attending dinner with royals from another land? Thoughts of my lackluster appearance heated my face, and I began questioning why I was there in the first place. I had missed many hosting dinners with many important guests over the past few weeks of my self-induced exile with my son, so what was so different that night?

The moment the Irish king and princess stepped into view, I couldn't help but quietly gasp at the princess' appearance. She was not only from Edward's mother's nation of birth, but she was also absolutely gorgeous with her flaming red hair and piercing blue eyes, just as Edward had described his mother to be. Aro was obsessed with Edward's mother, so my first assumption was that he intended this princess to be his next queen, but I quickly figured out just how dangerously wrong that assumption was…

Aro took the princess' hand, and kissed it gently. "Ahh, young Victoria, you are a vision. Isn't she, Edward?"

"Uh… Yes, of course," Edward replied politely.

For the rest of the evening, Aro kept fawning over Victoria, but not in a way that conveyed his own interest in the woman, he was trying to entice Edward. He knew Edward carried a fondness of Ireland and orange haired women because of his mother, and by placing her at the same table as me, it was obvious just how amazingly perfect in every way she was, and just how lackluster and undignified I was in comparison. Aro had no problems with killing wives to replace them, and it became clear that he was trying to convince Edward to do the same with me. However the worst part of it all was the fact that the princess seemed to be in on Aro's game…and Edward was ignorantly falling for it…

"So, Prince Edward, I heard you are half Irish?" the princess asked him flirtatiously from across the table.

"Um…Yes, you heard right. My grandfather used to work at your palace stables," he told her.

Usually royals would be mortified by Edward's inferior birth, but not Victoria, she just smiled. "That is amazing the way fate works itself out sometimes. Even the most beautiful stones can be concealed by black dirt."

"Edward has proven to be our diamond in the rough," Aro agreed with her smugly.

"Yes, I can see that," Victoria replied before turning back to Edward. "Well you will have to come visit us in Ireland sometime. I can show you around, give you a lesson on your heritage."

"That would actually be wonderful, thank you," Edward said graciously. "I have always wanted to go there and see where my family came from. I wanted to bring my grandfather back there before he passed, but sadly it was not to be."

"I'm sure you still have other family there who would love to meet you," Victoria pressed. "Maybe cousins or other distant relatives. Surely if they proved to be your relations we would honor them."

"Really?" Edward asked surprised. "Even if they were servants?"

"Of course. You can't be related to the future king of Volterra and still be an Irish servant. They would be showered with riches and given titles."

"Really?" Edward asked again.

"Of course," she repeated.

"That is remarkable, and very kind of you," Edward told her with a level of awe I had never heard him use before.

"Well, we do have the responsibility as royals to set good examples and do the right thing," she said with a smile.

"I agree completely," Edward replied.

The two of them continued to flirtatiously converse about Ireland and the need to respect servants, and all the while I felt completely invisible…well, at least I did until Victoria turned her attention onto me.

"Well, we do try to care for our servants, after all, they do care for us, but…I have to say, we don't usually have them dine with us," she said while gesturing to me. "But I do think it's wonderful."

"Actually this is our Princess Isabella," Aro butted in. "Edward has taken his affinity for servants to a whole other level and insisted on marrying one."

"Oh…well, that's sweet," Victoria said in a faux friendly tone, and then she turned to me and spoke slowly as if I wasn't intelligent enough to understand her properly. "What a fairytale. You must be over the moon?" she asked me.

I couldn't help but scowl at her. "Oh yes, everything about life in this palace is a dream come true," I said, having a hard time keeping the bitterness out of my voice.

"It's been an adjustment for both of us," Edward added.

"I'm sure it has," Victoria agreed. "I still have trouble remembering everything I must do as a princess, it must be terribly overwhelming for someone of your background."

"It has been, but we'll get through it," I said confidently.

"Of course you will," Victoria replied before turning back to Edward, and redirecting their conversation back to all the wonders of Ireland.

They spoke so keenly, and I had to admit, I was slightly worried. I wasn't sure if it was Victoria's presence or if the change occurred in our time apart, but Edward was so much more regal than I ever expected possible from him. He was stiff, and proper, and even his laugh seemed more dignified than before. I could actually see him beginning to morph into that perfect prince Aro had wanted him to be…_and it absolutely scared the living hell out of me._


	15. Weathering

Chapter XV – _Weathering_

Sometimes storms roll in so slowly that you can actually watch them approach from a distance, other times they build fast and hard and you don't even realize what is happening until the lightning jolts you off your feet…but sometimes, sometimes storms can come in waves; ferocious strength only to be calmed by gentle drizzle and a peeking sun shining just long enough to create the most beautiful rainbow you had ever seen. I couldn't help but wonder what type of storm the palace was in for; any way you looked at it, it was definitely coming, or perhaps it had been there all along…

Our guests from Ireland decided to stay through the end of summer, which meant the beautifully conniving Princess Victoria would have all that much more time to dig her claws into my husband. I trusted Edward, I truly did, but he was changing and I wasn't sure what kind of man he'd become in the process, and it frightened me to the core.

My presence wasn't demanded again for dinner, for which I was grateful, but after an unexpected run-in with a certain orange haired wench, I was starting to rethink my decision to stay away…

"Oh… You there! My chambermaid has disappeared and my bucket needs dumping," Victoria told me arrogantly one afternoon.

I was just heading to the kitchen to get Siobhan something to eat after I heard her stomach growing for the umpteenth time, when I crossed paths with the princess. She pretended to not recognize me, which I knew immediately was a lie; she just enjoyed belittling me, and I wasn't about to stand for it.

"There is a cloth next to the bucket, dump it yourself," I told her brazenly.

She gasped in shock. "Well, I never… How dare you suggest such a thing? I will inform the king at once, and you will be removed from your position and certainly lashed, if not hanged."

I smirked at her. "Trust me, if the king could remove me from my position he would have long before now. My husband, _Prince Edward_, has always stood up for me and will continue to do so," I told her before walking past her towards the kitchen.

"We'll see about that," I heard her mumble, but I chose to ignore her.

The truth was she'd try to take Edward from me regardless of how nice I was to her, so what was the point.

"My lady…" Siobhan said hesitantly after I finished venting about the confrontation. Siobhan had quickly become my rock and I told her just about everything; usually she would just listen and offer her support, but on this matter she couldn't help but voice her opposing opinion.

"Bella," I corrected her.

She smiled. "Bella, if I may, I just feel that maybe staying here and taking a passive stance on that princess' attempts on your husband is a mistake… perhaps you should actually fight back."

"I was fighting back by telling her to dump her own bucket," I said confused.

"This princess seems very forward with this game she's playing; even if you don't believe Edward will fall for it, you're giving her the satisfaction of thinking she's winning just by your absence. Think of the king, he'd never say you aren't allowed at the dinners, but the fact he hasn't demanded your presence means he doesn't actually want you there…you're letting him win as well. These royals need to be challenged, otherwise they will never stop their behavior."

"Or they'll fight back twice as hard," I contradicted.

Siobhan shrugged. "It's possible…but I've always believed you have to fight for what you believe in, because if you don't, who will?"

"Making a stance against Victoria will only take me away from Anthony more," I told her.

"Making a stance against Victoria will only ensure your place in Anthony's future," Siobhan argued. "If Victoria and Aro have their way, you'll be dead and she'll be taking your place. Edward is constantly inundated with Aro's influence. I can imagine his struggle to remain steadfast, which is exactly what the king wants. Remind him, Bella. Fight back…If not for Edward, do it for Anthony."

Suddenly my throat was dry as I realized just how right she was. I was leaving my fate in Edward's hands, and I wasn't entirely confident he was strong enough to fight my battles for me anymore. It was time to step up and find a way to protect myself - to protect my family.

I took a deep breath. "Well, I suppose I better start getting ready for dinner then," I said before standing and immediately heading into my wardrobe to dress appropriately. I would not be forced to show up unprepared again. I would be at my best, and I'd find a way to demand respect from all of them - it was the only way to survive.

Angela and my handmaidens helped me get ready, and I was actually pleased with the outcome. I'd never be a natural beauty, but with enough paint, even the most unappealing canvas can become remarkable.

With all the confidence I could muster, I stiffened my posture and went to the dining room. As expected, the shock of my presence caused Victoria's hackles to rise. "Well, look at you; if I didn't know any better I might actually think you were royalty…too bad your poor breeding shows through in your features. No amount of rouge can hide that," Victoria said with a haughty chuckle.

"And no amount of etiquette training could possibly mask the ugliness of your personality," I replied with a snooty laugh of my own.

"Why, Princess Isabella, isn't this a wonderful surprise," Aro said as he entered the dining room. He disguised his disdain for me well, but of course I could always see right through him and wasn't at all fooled.

"Is Prince Edward expected to join us this evening then?" King James asked curiously, which only made me curious as well.

"Has he not been here?" I asked reluctantly. The last thing I wanted was for Victoria to know that I hadn't spoken to Edward in a while, but I'd certainly hate to waste my time with irritating dinners if he was never there.

"Tearing him away from his duties these days is difficult, but coincidentally I insisted he come tonight," Aro informed his guest with an underlying hint of bitterness, and I couldn't help but smile to myself knowing that my presence was disrupting whatever plan Aro had for the evening.

We waited for another ten minutes or so before Edward finally arrived, and I was shocked by his appearance. He was dressed up for dinner, of course, but he also wore a hard mask of indifference that I had never seen on him before. It was cold and distant, and once again, I was scared.

"Edward," I said quietly, letting my concern for him override the faux confidence I was trying to emit.

He turned and glared at me for a moment, as if he was angry I even said his name, but it only lasted a moment because his mask abruptly shifted. "Bella? I didn't realize you were going to be here tonight," he said gently.

"Well, I thought this might be the only way to see you," I admitted.

He smiled at me, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm glad you're here."

"Really?" I asked, unsure of his sincerity.

He smiled slightly bigger, and this time it almost made his eyes sparkle…_almost_. "Of course," he said softly.

It was custom to sit across from your spouse at formal dinners, but I was surprised and grateful when Edward broke tradition and came to sit beside me; however, the king was certainly not impressed. "That is not your place," Aro said to Edward evenly.

"Yeah, well I can't exactly see my wife from across this massive table, now can I?" Edward snapped at him.

"Centuries of table manners cannot be broken because you're in a mood," Aro replied sternly. "Now, move!"

Edward stared him down for a minute, and I expected him to give another defiant response, but somehow when he stood and moved to the seat across the table, I wasn't all that surprised. This was the new obedient prince, not the carefree man I fell in live with. Little by little Aro was killing him, and I honestly didn't know what to do to save him.

As the dry conversation of the royals slowly picked up, I tried to see past the grand table decorations to my husband, but I realized it was an impossible situation. I wasn't even sure if Edward was joining in the discussion or not, because truthfully the stale voices all ran together in one muffled monotone hum. If I couldn't see him, or even decipher his voice from the others, what was the point to being there at all?

"Isabella, do respond when someone engages you," Aro suddenly chided me.

"Huh?" I said confused, unaware I was even being spoken to before that moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear the question."

A stiff voice responded from across the table, which I scarcely recognized as belonging to Edward – "King James was just asking you about your family," he said emotionlessly.

"Oh…What about my family?" I asked hesitantly. The topic of my family was the very last one I'd ever want brought up, so I had to quickly try to remember all the falsified stories I had told Edward along the way in order to avoid any doubts from him as well as the others.

"What is your background?" King James asked.

"Oh, I believe all of my ancestors were native Volterrians," I answered politely, relieved it was such an easy question.

"He wasn't asking of your ethnicity, he was inquiring about your relatives' positions," Edward said coldly.

"Oh, um…"

"They were farmers," Edward said to the king bluntly.

"Yes, farmers," I agreed quietly.

"Well, that's…interesting," King James mocked.

"Actually, it is very interesting," I told him. "Farming is an extremely involved and complex life that most farmers take much pride in. If you ever took the time to actually see what goes into it, you may even be impressed."

King James snorted.

"Just because you are royalty, don't fool yourself into believing you're above the working class," I added.

"Why, of course I am above them. I rule them, therefore I am above," James replied smugly.

"And without them you would be nothing," I pointed out.

"I beg your pardon?" he said insulted.

"A kingdom is composed of people of all stature; without the farmers you would have no food, without seamstresses, you would have no clothes, without blacksmiths, you would have no blades or shoes for your horses. Without all these different types of people, you would not have anyone to rule over therefore your job would be unnecessary," I explained. "As king, you are reliant on your people, just as they rely on you. It is a circle; therefore no one is above anyone else."

"And that is why servants do not rule," King James said, making Aro and Victoria laugh. "What an obscure way of thinking. Edward, I must say, I hope you rein her in before you take the crown."

"That is something of a challenge," Edward said unexpectedly before standing. "The thoughts of servants do greatly differ from those of royals and other high society people, which is why I must escort Isabella back to her room now," he announced while walking around the table and pulling out my chair.

My face flooded with heat and I was absolutely mortified. I didn't expect him to support me, but I certainly wasn't expecting him to dismiss me from the table like a misbehaving child. I wanted to yell out my anger, I wanted to cry in embarrassment, but most of all I just wanted to retreat to some dark hole and grieve my loss. I was truly alone.

Edward took me by my arm, and without another word he led me out of the room. The tension between us was so thick that it made it hard to breath, and I honestly felt dizzy. Was he going to berate me? Take a dagger to my faltering confidence and deliver the final blow to my heart? Or would he just say nothing at all and leave me there feeling absolutely worthless? I couldn't even decide which would be worse… but neither scenario occurred. Instead of the anger I was expecting, the wind was completely knocked out of me when he suddenly pushed me against the wall and attacked my lips with his in a desperate eagerness that I never felt before.

"God, I've missed you so much," he mumbled against my mouth.

I panted to catch my breath, but he was still so close that I could feel my own heat rebounding off of him.

"You've always known where to find me," I murmured.

He stared at me for a long intense moment, and then he broke in the biggest unexpected smile. "I have a surprise for you."

I was so confused and had so many questions, but before I could voice any of them he took my hand back in his, and began towing me behind him excitedly. The entire thing was baffling to the point of disorientation.

"Okay, close your eyes," he instructed, but when my shock disallowed me to move, he pulled me in front of him and placed his hand gently over my eyes. "It's right through here."

"Um…okay," I said as I moved forward blindly.

There was a very small part of me that wondered if he was leading me to my death, but the moment he removed his hand to reveal the surprise, I hated myself for ever having feelings of distrust towards him.

"What do you think?" he asked enthusiastically, sounding like the joyous man that I had fallen in love with again.

"It's a garden," I said in astonishment. It wasn't just a regular garden; it was the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. It looked more like a scene from a fairytale than a man-made yard. It had a small rock waterfall and a babbling brook that ran through the length of it. The greenery was so rich and thick that it completely concealed the brick wall that surrounded it, and almost made me forget it was caged in at all. "It's beautiful."

"Well, it's not the lake, and it'll never make up for being locked in the palace all the time, but it's private, just for you, so you never have to worry about running into any unwanted visitors. Not even the king is allowed in here."

I grimaced in disbelief. "The king is allowed anywhere he wants."

"That may be true for the most part, but he's not allowed in here. No one is unless you invite them, not even your own personal guard."

"Really? How did you pull that one off with the king?" I asked, still skeptic.

"Dealing with Aro is a give and take - if I give enough, eventually he lets me take a few things in return."

"What did you have to give up for this?" I asked him slowly. "Nothing with him is ever free, so what did this cost you?"

Edward grew quiet and the tension waved over both of us, but thankfully he refused to let it stay long. "What matters is that now you have a place to escape to, where no one can bother you and you don't have to feel like you're constantly being watched. I'll bring in a gardener once a week, but other than that you won't ever be interrupted. Anthony can play here, there's a table and chairs set up so you can even have your meals out here if you wish."

I hated his deflection, but I also knew better than to press the matter. There were some things he just couldn't tell me, and I had no other choice but to accept it.

"You know, if I embarrassed you that much at dinner, you could have just said something instead of building an entire garden to keep me distracted so I wouldn't return," I semi-joked.

Edward huffed. "You didn't embarrass me," he said, surprising me. "Why would you even think that?"

"You sure seemed embarrassed," I mumbled.

"Bella, no, if anything I was embarrassed of them. Those people are pathetic and disgusting, and I never want you to be forced around them again." He laughed once humorlessly. "I actually worked really hard to get Aro to allow you to miss those dinners, so I was pretty upset when I first saw you there. I thought he went back on our deal."

"I thought…I thought you liked them since they were from Ireland…You seemed so enthralled last time… You were so different around them."

"It's not just around them," he admitted quietly. "You have no idea how…utterly lost I feel all the time here. Aro, he messes with my mind… He pushes and pushes until I just can't remember why I keep trying to resist. I get so…drained and weak, and I start to think that if I just give in, all the distress would finally be alleviated. I often feel like I'm going to completely disappear…and at times, I almost do…but then I think of you, and…I remember. I remember my real reason for being here…"

"Which is?" I asked, feeling a level of sorrow I couldn't properly describe. I knew Edward was having a hard time, I just didn't know it weighed that heavily on him. Listening to him sound so broken gave me an ache like no other.

"You," he whispered. "And Anthony. I've thought so many times about different ways we could run from here…try to escape this, but…all of them end up with us separated or hurt beyond repair. Aro would never stop hunting us; he'd massacre entire villages just for the smallest hint of where we'd gone…and the rebels…" He let his thought trail off.

I swallowed roughly. "There's nowhere we could go," I murmured. It wasn't a question, it was a fact, one that I had spent so many months considering myself.

"I just wish there was a better option," Edward sighed.

I bit my bottom lip as I considered what I was about to say. "I think… I think everyone would agree that the only option would be… removing the king from power."

Edward stared past me as if he was trying to figure out a way to make my suggestion possible, but then he shook his head. "The only way to remove him from power would be to kill him."

I nodded once slowly. "His death could save a lot of lives," I told him as carefully as possible. It was the closest I had ever come to telling him about my real background, but by the look on his face I immediately realized it was a mistake.

"Bella, what you're suggesting is murder," he said incredulously. "That would make us no better than him, but even worse, spilling royal blood is eternal damnation."

"Murder of any kind is a sin," I corrected him. "But I honestly believe god would forgive it in this account if you asked for it. Aro's life for the lives of countless others; eye for an eye…it would only be just."

He shook his head more strongly. "I can't believe you're saying this. You hate the man, and yet you would stoop to his level; risk hell, just for what? To achieve peace? Let me tell you, the king's death would only result in more terror."

"How so?" I asked baffled. "You would be king… You could be the great ruler everyone needs."

"You really are naive, aren't you," he said slowly. "You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about at all."

"I don't? Then explain it to me. Make me understand, because from where I stand, all I can see is Aro's death being beneficial to everyone."

"That's just it, from where you stand I can see why you would think such a thing," he said, sounding suddenly bitter.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, unsure if I should be insulted or not.

"It's obvious isn't it? If Aro dies, you become queen. What more could a former servant ask for."

His words felt like a sharp stab to my chest, and I reflexively slapped him across the face. How dare he insinuate that I could be so callous? But feeling the sting to my hand, and seeing his shock in his eyes, I immediately regretted my unpremeditated action.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"I think you did," he cut me off, but instead of exploding at me like I almost expected, he was strangely able to calm down significantly, as if my strike allowed him to think clearly again. "I'm the one who's sorry - I shouldn't have said that and I certainly didn't mean it…but killing Aro isn't the answer."

I took a deep, settling breath. "Then what is?"

"I wish I knew," he replied solemnly. "All I know is that I've allowed him to keep me away from you for far too long. I'm not going to put up with it anymore. I need you to keep me sane."

"That's probably the very reason why he tries to keep you away," I concluded.

He smiled halfheartedly. "Well like his game with the Irish monarchy, I'm completely onto him. I'm not always quick with the realizations, but I always figure it out eventually."

"What game was he playing with the Irish?" I asked with faux curiosity. I knew what game Aro was playing, but I wasn't exactly sure if Edward was onto the same game or something else entirely.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," he said full of resentment, but then something made him actually explain – "Aro was constantly parading that princess in front of me in some bizarre mating ritual. It was ridiculous, as if seeing an abstract connection to my mother would make me at all dissatisfied with you. How sick does he think I am? Who looks at a woman who resembles their mother and feels any romance whatsoever? If anything, Victoria and James' presence made miss my grandfather even more than I already do, which does nothing but remind me of just how screwed up Aro actually is."

I took a deep breath of relief. "So…I have nothing to worry about?"

He smirked, "There's always stuff to worry about around here."

I couldn't help but smile back. "Okay, I know, I have a lot to worry about, but as far as being replaced goes…"

"How could anyone replace you?" he asked with sincerity.

"I'm sure finding someone who wouldn't strike you would be simple enough," I said ashamed.

"Hey, I love that fire in you, never lose it. You should always put me in my place when I act like an idiot."

"Not by hitting you. I can't believe I did that. I'm so sorry. You certainly don't need that in addition to all the stress Aro puts you under. One of these days you might actually agree with all the terrible things he must say about me."

"Bella, listen to me. Aro can beat me down until I'm a pathetic shadow of who I used to be, but for the rest of my existence, you'll be a part of me. You're in every fiber of my being, and nothing you do or he says could ever change that. As long as I have you…he can't ever win… not really anyway."

His words were comforting, but they also terrified me. "Sooner or later, Aro is going to figure that out, and then he'll finally separate us once and for all."

He took a step closer to me and cradled my face in his palms. "I will never let him take you from me…He's tried, and he's failed."

"But…"

He pressed his thumbs gently over my lips to hush me. "He can't take you from me…nobody can. You are all that matters to me, and despite his continued efforts to convince me to let you go, he knows it's in his best interest to let me keep you."

"I don't understand."

"If I lose you, he'll lose all of his control over me," he said, taking me aback.

I shook my head in disagreement. "You'll still have Anthony."

"He'd never hurt Anthony because he fears the sin attached to spilling royal blood too much. He knows I know that about him. You are all he has….unless I chose to give you up myself, and that will never happen. So rest assured, my love; you are safe here."

The term 'safe' was nothing more than a fictional whimsy; there were still countless dangers potentially heading our way at any given time. The storm would not be quieted until it came to its explosive end; I only hoped we'd find a way to be strong enough to survive it….


	16. The Cost

Chapter XVI – _The Cost_

Edward had promised that he'd spend more time with Anthony and me, and surprisingly, he found a way to keep that promise. He didn't come to us every day, but he was able to be there much more than he had been since returning to the palace. I was beyond grateful for the time we were getting, but there was a big part of me that was just as worried knowing Edward had to sacrifice something huge to the king in order to be allowed that time. What was the cost of Edward's presence with us? What was the king forcing him to do in return? The thought made me shudder.

"I told you to stop worrying about it," Edward tried reassuring me one morning. He had spent the entire night before with me, and then he announced that he'd be spending the rest of the day with us as well, which made me nervous just as much as it excited me.

"Why won't you tell me what you had to do to make Aro agree to this?" I asked anxiously.

"Because it doesn't matter. Nothing outside of the three of us matters; it's all just background noise…I don't even want to waste a moment we have together thinking about any of it."

I took a deep breath. "Okay," I relented. I had a horrible feeling about the entire thing, and I felt disgustingly guilty about allowing myself to turn a blind eye to it, but Edward was right, our time together was precious and I wasn't about to ruin it with worrying about something I had no control over.

As time continued to pass, I managed to numb away the guilt and frustration I was feeling, and I just became beyond grateful for Edward's continued attendance in our lives. As luck would have it, he was with us when Anthony crawled for the first time, and a few months after that, he got to witness Anthony's first steps as well. It was a joyous time in our growing son's development, and Edward and I were as happy as possible given the situation, however he couldn't conceal the distance in his eyes completely. He hid it well when he was with us, but I knew Edward's soul was taking a beating under Aro's rule, I only wished he'd let me in enough to bear some of that burden.

…

All too quickly autumn had arrived once more, and the king decided to celebrate Anthony's birthday with an extravagant ball. It was far too fancy for any one year old, but I suppose that was the type of thing that was done for a young prince, and I had no choice but to grin and endure it.

Winter soon followed, and surprisingly it was a calm, peaceful time for our little family at the palace. It was as if the blankets of snow had frozen absolutely everything in Volterra, from the rioters at the gates, to the king's army. There was so movement outside; even the tension of those around us seemed to pause for a long winter's hibernation. Edward was able to spend virtually every day with us, and Aro never once tried to step in, but as spring approached, I realized that the peace had only been the calm before the storm…

"How long will you be gone for?" I asked as steadily as possibly while my insides screamed in protest. Edward had just informed me that his father was sending him out west to handle some kind of business, and I was utterly terrified.

"Just a couple weeks…three, at most," Edward told me gently.

"Edward, what about all the rebels? Wasn't your brother killed in one of the western villages?" I asked in a panic.

"Caius was a moron. I know how to stay safe," he tried assuring me.

"If this matter is of this much importance, why doesn't Aro just go himself?" I questioned.

"Aro is the king; he rarely leaves the protection of the palace gates."

"Yes, which is exactly why you shouldn't go either," I argued.

"Come on, Bella, he's just paranoid. I'm going to be fine."

"How can you say that after what happened to Caius?"

"Like I said, Caius was reckless. I know what I'm doing…. Now, I know this is going to be tough, love, but it's just something we have to get used to. This is just the first of many trips I will have to take in the coming years," he told me before kissing my forehead sweetly. "I'll be back before you know it."

I shook my head in disagreement.

He chuckled quietly to himself. "Oh, what would I ever do without you?" he said before pulling me in for a tight embrace and tender kiss on the lips.

"You don't have to worry about losing me," I grumbled. "It is I who am in danger of losing you."

"You are _not_ going to lose me," he said intensely. "I will be fine…I promise."

"Yeah, well you better be, because if something happens to you, I'll kill you."

He laughed again. "I'll keep that in mind… You know what, I have an idea."

"What?" I asked warily.

"You stay strong while I'm gone, and when I get back, I'll find a way to convince Aro to let us go back to the costal estate for a while."

"Really? How will you do that?" I asked, unsure if I should be excited or the opposite.

"The same way I've done everything else with you in the past few months. I know how to handle him now."

I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the guilt I felt once again. "Okay," I forced myself to agree. "I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too….more than you'll ever know."

…

Edward's couple of weeks away, somehow turned into a month and a half of heart-straining worry for me. He never sent word on his status, which left me in a constant state of stress, but finally, almost a month later than he said he'd be, he returned…and everything was different.

"Edward, you're home!" I cried when I saw him emerge from his carriage. I ran to him and flung my arms around him expecting him to hug me tightly in return, but instead I just got a cold peck to the cheek and then I was basically pushed aside.

"I need to speak to the king," he said emotionlessly before walking past me into the palace.

I didn't understand it, but I refused to think anymore into it either. He had a long trip, there must have been an urgent matter that couldn't wait… _at least that was what I told myself_.

I went to my room that evening and waited for hours, hoping he would come to me, but sometime in the middle of the night I gave up hope. I went to bed, but after tossing and turning for the umpteenth time, I decided to go out to my private garden to get some fresh air. I knew the groundskeepers came at night to maintain the area, but at that point I didn't even care if I was interrupted or not. I just needed some cool air on my face before I could even attempt to sleep again, however, venturing off alone into the dark on that particular night could have possibly been the worst mistake of my life…

"Bella?" the echo of a familiar voice said from the darkness, and as I was hit with a déjà vu, I instantly knew who was there and it absolutely shook me to the core.

"Jacob," I said as evenly as possible.

His face peeked out from the brush, and then he looked around carefully before finally stepping into the gentle glow of the torch I was standing under.

"My god, it is you!" he said excitedly before rushing over and wrapping his arms around me, just as he did when we were children. It was strangely comforting and terrifying at the same time. "What are you doing here?" he continued. "I thought you got out during the riots last year - Well hell, I guess it's been almost two years now. Have you really been here this whole time?"

"Um…I could ask you the same thing," I said, dodging his question.

"Yeah, I've been here this entire time. Still working as a groundskeeper, just biding my time until the right time…_you know what I mean_. We lost our window last year when we couldn't get some information we needed…or something like that. I'm not exactly sure what happened, I've been pretty cut off in here, except for a few messages out and all."

"What kind of messages?" I asked as casually as possible.

"Well, there are a few servants who are on our side, and have been here long enough to be permitted to go into the villages and whatnot. I've connected with a few of them in my time here, and they're fairly confident the attack is finally coming. _Finally!_ Wouldn't it be nice to go home again?" he said excitedly.

I bit my lower lip. "So…what exactly are the plans for the attack?"

"I'm not sure of all the details yet, but one of my contacts did say that there is a rebel posing as a guard who works the gate - _you know, kind of like what I wanted to do_ - and he's scheduled to be there in the next couple days, so I'm assuming everything is going to happen real fast. I'm going to work here in the princess' private garden every night to be sure I don't miss it, and I'll do whatever I can to actually get inside the palace before the guards have a chance to hide away the king and prince when everything goes down."

My heart leapt into my throat. "You're going to try to kill them yourself?" I asked shakily. "Jacob, that's murder."

His face immediately stiffened. "Bella, the king and the prince are evil tyrants. Ridding them of this land will be a blessing to all who lives here, and if I'm in the best position to get the job done, you better believe I will do it myself." Something made him pause, and then he looked around suspiciously. "What are you doing out here, Bella? This is supposed to be the princess' private garden…how did a concubine - or a chambermaid, or whatever the hell you are now - get in here?"

"It's a game we all play," I lied quickly. "Whoever can sneak in here first wins, and it looks as though I've won," I said, unwilling to tell him the truth. It could only be a good thing that the rebels hadn't caught on to the fact that I was the princess yet, it meant that if or when we had to run, we had a better chance at making it out undetected. "Who else is a rebel here on the grounds?" I asked, trying to redirect the conversation back to anything that would help me protect my family.

"Well there's the blacksmith and… Hold on, since when does a chambermaid dress like that?" he asked after noticing my clothes.

"I'm a concubine, remember?" I told him irritated. "The blacksmith, Eleazar?" I then asked, in complete shock from that one. Eleazar and his family were friends of Edward's, and looking back on the time we spent with them, I could have sworn they knew the truth about him even back then. How or why would they ever turn on him? "Who else?"

"The stable master, I think," he said absently while still looking at my clothing oddly.

"The stable master?" I gasped. "Garrett? No way. There is no way he's a rebel."

"Are you kidding? Garrett is like one of the top Denalis."

"No, he's been here far too long," I said, still in denial. "He's loyal to the prince."

Jake laughed once. "Don't count on it. He's just very dedicated to the cause, that's all. I even heard there's someone who's been here longer…a woman, if you can believe that. Apparently, she's in the perfect position to help us. Completely trusted by the king and prince."

"Who?" I asked, feeling sincerely sick to my stomach. Garrett had been there since Edward was a child, who could have possibly been there longer? And a woman, none the less.

"I'm not exactly sure, Garrett wouldn't say, but I did overhear him and his wife whispering about the nanny."

"Oh my god!" I cried out, and I automatically turned to rush to my son, but Jacob caught me by the arm and refused to let me go.

"What just happened?" he asked intensely. "Why are you freaking out?"

"Jacob, let me go!" I demanded.

"No, not until you tell me what the hell is going on. You're acting like…like you're upset about what I just said. What the hell, Bella, you should be just as happy about this as everyone else is."

I stared at my one time best friend, whom I had grown up with and loved like a brother, and I sighed. "Jacob…You need to leave here at once. Do whatever you can to get out of the palace gates, because come daybreak I will be sending the king's guards after you and the others you named."

"What?" he spat. "Bella, that's not funny."

"I'm not joking," I replied evenly. "Leave, or you will be executed."

He stared at me for a torturously long moment, and then he ever so slowly reached up and grabbed my other hand. "What happened to you here? Did they brainwash you? Please don't tell me you have actually grown to care for these demons."

I swallowed roughly. "I will not warn you again."

"Bella, wake up!" he shouted unexpectedly with a hard jerk to my shoulders. "The king is pure evil."

"I know," I agreed quietly.

"If you know, then why?…. It's not about the king is it?" he said in a sudden bout of understanding. "You're into this prince….That's it, isn't it? You actually have feelings for that bastard."

"Don't talk about him like that; you don't know him at all!"

"I know he's a murderer. I know he commanded an army to slaughter countless people just because they were rioting over the lack of food. I know he ordered the hanging of a man in front of his wife and children just for stealing bread in order to feed them. Bella, that prince is every bit as evil as his father."

I didn't realize I was shaking my head the entire time he was speaking until he finished, but there was no way I was about to believe a word of it.

"You are a liar," I stated while wiping a rogue tear from my cheek.

"I am not lying. These are things Garrett has told me. He said he used to care about the prince when he was a boy, but he's been corrupted, and he fears he'll end up being the most evil of them all if he ever gets the chance to be king. He kills without batting an eye, Bella. They say he completely lacks emotion."

I took a deep breath. "Now you have five minutes until I call the guards…I suggest you run," I told him coldly.

"Bella…Don't do this. These disgusting human beings, _if you can even call them that_, they need to be removed. Countless lives will be lost if we don't act on this soon. We have reason to believe they are planning another massacre by the end of the week, which is why it is so important that this all happens before then."

"Leave!" I yelled at him. "Or, so help me, I will get the guards now."

He quickly released one of my hands, only to dig something out of his pocket. "Fine, I'll go, but Bella…Don't let them fool you. You are so much smarter than that. You are a good person; I know you can't ignore this. If you don't believe me, try to find your own proof, and then…" He placed a small vial into my hand and looked at me meaningfully. "If you really do care about this prince, then find a way to use this….it'll be quick, and he won't even know what happened; he'll just go to sleep… Spare him the public hanging the rebels want for the monarchy…It can all be over, if you just…use this."

I should have shoved the thing back in his face and immediately called for help, but instead I turned away and waited for him to disappear. I was absolutely fuming, but I was also overwhelmed by thoughts of my husband and the possibility of there even being an ounce of truth to Jacob's claim. Edward had changed dramatically, but I still couldn't believe he had changed _that_ much. My husband wasn't a murderer, but….

I put the tiny vial in my corset, and then I set out to find Edward. I didn't believe Jacob's words, but I was so shaken by it all that I just needed Edward to reassure me. I needed him to finally open up and tell me the truth about what had been happening with Aro when he was away, and in turn, I decided to finally tell him my entire truth as well. He deserved that. We both deserved to unload the weight of those burdens once and for all.

With it being the middle of the night, I had no idea where Edward was, but I was determined to find him, and thankfully, it wasn't very difficult. I rounded the corner to the room where the king usually strategized with his top army officials, and there I heard the hollow voices. I stayed hidden around the corner so I could hear what was going on, and I was absolutely mortified. They were planning an attack, not for the end of the week, but for the following day, and the head plan maker…was Edward.

"I want them buried by nightfall. If they hide in the houses, burn them all to the ground. Kill anyone who gets in the way. _Anyone_," Edward said callously.

I gasped from his words, but I covered my mouth to conceal it. I needed to hear more, something else, anything to make what he was saying any less horrendous. There had to be some kind of explanation for his terror….except, there wasn't. The more I listened, the more I died inside. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought the devil himself was conversing with his demon disciples, and this time Aro wasn't even there to take responsibility for any of it. He wasn't watching over Edward's shoulder, and as far as I could tell, he wasn't threatening him with anything. Edward had become the very evil we had both hated, and it absolutely shattered me.

What was I supposed to do now? I wanted more than anything to un-hear all that I had heard, to turn back time and decide to go to bed instead of searching him out that night. Certainly in this case, ignorance was bliss, because with ignorance I could continue turning a blind eye and pretending not to notice the alarming differences in my husband's demeanor - _My husband_, whom I loved more than anything, did it really make a difference knowing how ruthless he had become to the outside world? He was nothing but loving to me and our son, couldn't that just be enough? For the safety of my son, I needed to remain loyal to my husband and try not to think of it again…except, I could think of nothing else.

Remembering what Jacob had said about a possible rebel disguised as a nanny, I quietly crept into the nursery, and without waking Siobhan, I carried my sleeping son back to my own room. I didn't know who to trust anymore, and once again, I was alone.

The attack was coming - should I try to escape now, should I warn my husband, or should I do what I knew was right deep down, and actually help the rebels in order to prevent countless other innocent lives lost? I had the poison, and I had the proper access to Edward and Aro; I could end it without anyone else having to get hurt, but what then? What of my son? Without the protection of the monarchy, his life would only be in even graver danger, and I would be left as nothing more than a hollow shell from taking my beloved's life.

Every possible scenario was horrifying, but there was no more room for indecision; it was time for me to make a choice….

* * *

*****A/N:** Is Edward evil…_really?_ Hmm. I promised an HEA, so hopefully that's enough of a hint ;)  
Stay tuned…


	17. Thunder

Chapter XVII – _Thunder_

My mind was in a flurry of aching indecisions. I stressed about every possible choice, and each one was more horrifying than the last, but there was absolutely no escaping it this time, something had to be done.

I spent the rest of the night consumed with distraught, but as dawn broke through the window, I was out of time…

"Hey, you're up…I thought you'd be still be sleeping and I'd just crawl in bed with you," Edward said gently as he entered the room.

I could do nothing but stare at him stupefied. God, he was beautiful. Every inch of him was absolutely perfect. My mind replayed every wonderful moment we had shared since meeting, but like many beautiful dreams, my thoughts of him quickly became shrouded in darkness.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked when I failed to respond to him. "Listen, I'm really sorry about earlier in the courtyard. I wanted to scoop you up and whisk you away some place, but there was an urgent matter that couldn't wait," he explained while closing the distance between us.

He was so close that I couldn't help but inhale him deep into my lungs. "You were gone so long," I heard myself say, but it only confused me because I never made a conscious decision to speak.

He sighed. "I know, the situation was much more dire than expected….But the good news is that Aro has okayed our trip to the coastal estate…We leave today."

"Really?" I asked with a spark of hope I wasn't expecting. Perhaps I could just forget about everything. Perhaps we could leave together and the attack would occur in our absence, thus finally killing the king and fixing everything.

"Well…" he hesitated.

"Well what?" I pressed.

"Well, I do have a few things left to take care of, so I was thinking you and Anthony could leave today, and I'd follow a couple days later."

My chest constricted painfully. "No…you need to leave with us. You were only supposed to be gone for two weeks, and it turned into a month and a half. There is no way I trust you'll be only a few days behind us this time."

"Bella, that was a different situation. Everything will be fine. I've already made all the arrangements for you."

"I'm _not_ traveling without you," I insisted. If Edward wanted to get rid of me so I wouldn't be present for whatever horrific thing he was planning, then he'd just have to come with me and let others carry it out for him. It was the only way our family would be saved at that point.

I expected him to put up more of a fight, but instead he just smiled at me and stepped even closer to kiss my neck. "God, I missed you," he mumbled against my skin.

"I missed you too," I replied quietly as my hands found their way to the back of his hair.

"Is that Anthony in our bed?" he asked abruptly. He pulled away and went to go check on our sleeping son. "My god, he's grown. Why isn't he sleeping in the nursery?"

"I had a nightmare….I just wanted him close last night," I admitted semi-honestly.

He smiled and then gently kissed his sleeping head, before picking him up and carrying him towards the door. I knew he was taking him back to the nursery, and I opened my mouth to stop him, but no words escaped my lips as he disappeared down the hall. He returned alone within a few minutes, and the instant he was back it was clear to see the lustful hunger in his eyes.

He rushed to me and kissed me sweetly, but his kiss quickly became more; I only wished I could quiet my doubts long enough to return his fervor. I didn't kiss him back, but he didn't even seem to notice as he pushed my dress to the floor and began working on my corset. But then it all came crashing down…

"What's that?" he asked as a small vial fell from my body.

Everything seemed to slow as I watched him bend over to pick up the poison. I felt searing pain and numbness at the same time, and my throat actually had the sensation of constriction to the point of suffocation. There was no more denying it, it was time to finally disclose the truth, and hopefully, in return he would somehow reassure me that he hadn't fallen into the same darkness his father had…

"This is…poison, isn't it," he concluded slowly. "Bella…why do you have a vial of poison?"

"Someone gave it to me," I admitted.

"Someone gave it to you? Who? Why?"

I took a deep breath to steady myself. "He…was a rebel."

"A rebel? Bella, how did you come in contact with a rebel, and where?"

"It was in my garden…he was here posing as a groundskeeper."

"What?" he spat.

"There are quite a few rebels here on the grounds."

"How do you know this?" he asked intensely. "Bella, this is very serious. How do you know there are rebels here, and why haven't you told anyone?"

"I'm telling you now," I stated. "The rebels…they just want to stop the massacres. They just want people to be able to feel secure in their homes and to live in peace."

"Okay, you have absolutely no idea what the hell you are talking about. They are terrorists, Bella, and what they want, is to overthrow the monarchy."

"Yes, but you have to ask yourself why," I argued. "If the king was fair and just, they'd have no desire to overthrow him. Aro is terrorizing everyone. He needs to be stopped."

"It doesn't matter how fair and just a king is, there will always, _always_, be those who oppose him. That's the way it has been since the beginning of time."

"Edward, killing people because they're rioting over the lack of food, is not fair. Hanging a man in front of his family because he stole a loaf of bread to feed his children, is not just."

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. "Who told you that?"

"The rebel in my garden," I admitted.

"Bella, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, or what you're messing with. These people are dangerous. They want what they want and will stop at nothing to get there. If anyone deserves to be massacred, it's them! Now, tell me the name of this rebel so I can have him executed."

I shook my head slowly. "Edward…The rebels….they're good people. They're just trying to keep their families, and their friends, and their neighbors safe."

"I can't believe you have the audacity to defend them; it's actually quite ironic from your position. Bella, all of those rebels want the monarchy dead…as the princess, you are part of that monarchy, as well is Anthony. How could you possibly converse with any of them, let alone trust a word they have to say? They're trying to trap you, Bella, prey on your sympathies and use you to get to the rest of us…to get to Anthony."

Again, I shook my head. "The man I spoke to didn't have a clue I was married to you. He told me these horrible things that have been done because he trusted I was on his side."

"Yeah, and why would he do that?" he asked skeptically.

"Because we grew up together," I blurted out.

"You grew up together," Edward repeated slowly. "You grew up with a terrorist?"

"The rebels are not terrorists, they're only fighting for the basic human right to live without fear of being executed over some made up offense…and yes, I grew up with a boy who is now a rebel, in fact…" I took a deep hard breath, "everyone I grew up with is now a rebel."

Edward and I stared at each other for an agonizingly long moment, and I could actually see the light in his eyes darken in the most terrifying way. "What do you mean, everyone you grew up with is now a rebel?" he asked evenly.

"My father is Charles Swan, my uncle is Carlisle Cullen…they're the leaders of the rebel group_ Cullen_," I finally told him. I felt like the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders…only to be slammed back down again by the weight of the sun.

"You are Charles Swan's daughter?" he seethed as his features morphed into a sinister expression which made him completely unrecognizable to me.

I swallowed roughly and tried to explain. "I came here because nobody else could get in. I started as a maidservant in the hopes of being promoted to the kitchen staff…so I could poison the king. Aro, he slaughtered half of the people in our village, he murdered my grandparents, and then my mother and brother; we just wanted the tyranny to end…we just wanted peace."

Edward stared at me blankly while I explained who I really was, and then he unexpectedly laughed - _I only wish it was humorous_. "So let me get this straight…all this time…you've been a conspirator? You're the daughter of the most wanted terrorist in the kingdom, and you came here to kill me and my father…Well, I have to give it to you, that was bloody brilliant. And to think, Aro warned me not to trust you." Then, he exploded. "I defended you to him! I refused to believe a word he said about you. I have sacrificed everything to keep you safe here, and all along you just wanted me dead?"

"No!" I cut him off. "I never wanted you dead. I came here before I knew you existed. We even conceived Anthony before I had any clue as to the truth. You weren't honest with me back then either. If I had known…"

"If you had known, you would have what? Tried to kill me sooner?" he fumed.

"I was never trying to kill _you," _I reiterated. "Edward, I love you, and the moment I found out who you really were, my loyalties shifted to you."

"Then why do you have poison?" he shouted at me.

"Because the things Jacob told me scared the hell out of me!" I cried. "How could you do those things? You've killed innocent people….Why?"

"Innocence is a matter of opinion. The people who have died by my command deserved it."

"Listen to you, you're sounding like Aro," I said feeling hopeless.

"I could only be so lucky," he replied menacingly before turning and walking to the door.

"Where are you going?" I cried.

"Somewhere quiet to consider what to do with you," he said coldly, and then he exited the room and slammed the door shut as he went.

Reflexively I ran after him, only to discover he had locked me in. "Edward!" I screamed through the door, but the screams fell on deaf ears so my pleas became desperate begging. The attack was happening at any time; I needed to protect my son. "Please don't do this. I need to get to Anthony, please?"

I screamed so long and so loud that my voice eventually wore out, and when no more words were able to be projected from my throat, I used every last ounce of energy I had left to bang and claw at the door. My panicked hysterics must have lasted for hours, but nobody came to help, I couldn't even hear the shuffling of footsteps outside my door anymore. It was absolutely silent.

Eventually the light outside dimmed, and without any lamps lit, my room became pitch black, but it didn't matter, I wasn't moving from that door anyway. The next morning came and went, and I must have weaved in and out of consciousness, because the next thing I knew twilight was falling upon me once more, except this time crashes of thunder accompanied it.

I laid there motionless as I listened to the loud booming of the storm, but when lightning lit the room, I became confused. It wasn't the normal bright flash of most bolts, instead the light lingered and it was followed by the muffled rumbles of screaming. A sudden burst of renewed energy forced my body to jump up and rush to the window, and I was left absolutely petrified as the horrific scene unfolded below.

The attack wasn't coming later, it was now…

Hundreds of flaming arrows came soaring over the wall that surrounded the grounds, and beyond that I could see the terrifying sight of catapults being pulled closer by rebel forces. To the east, the catapults were already in full use, which would explain the thunderous explosions I had been hearing. The wall was falling, and the rebels were storming the palace.

"Edward!" I screamed again while running back to the door. I needed my baby. I needed to get him out safe, but still, nobody came to my rescue. "Edward, please?" I begged again, and then I tried a different tactic. "Seth…Are you out there?" I called to my personal guard, hoping Edward told him to keep watch over me. "Seth, please, I need to get out of here," I called to him, but there was still no answer.

Suddenly there was a loud bang that shook the floor beneath me, and I knew the catapults had broken into our barrier. By that point the guards must have known what was happening and whisked Aro, Edward, and hopefully Anthony to some hidden safe location, which meant I would be left there to the mercy of the rebels - that is, if I even survived the attack. With every deafening bang and earth shaking rumble, my hopes of surviving the night diminished. The palace would be nothing more than debris by morning, and my body would surely be buried amongst it.

I could do nothing but sit there on the floor and pray for my son. Since first learning of his existence, my main objective was just to have my baby survive, and I was confident that the king's guards were the most qualified for the job. I could die in peace knowing that in my heart…but then I heard commotion outside my door and I had no idea whether I should be relieved or terrified. Would those who approached be my saviors or my executioners?

I scooted back away from the door, and couldn't help but cower into the foot of the table that sat there against the wall. If only I could make myself invisible…

The door flung open, and I gasped at the sight of the man who I loved standing before me. He was angel and demon at the same time, I only hoped he was there for good, but somehow I already knew he wasn't.

"The…the rebels are attacking," I said shakily.

Edward smirked evilly. "Really? I hadn't noticed." Then his face fell in rage. "Where is he?"

I shook my head absently. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said honestly.

"Where. Is. My. Son?" he shouted, enunciating each word.

My heart jumped out of my chest. "Anthony is missing?"

"Don't play innocent with me!" he snapped viciously. "You did something with him. Where is he?"

"I…I...I don't know," I cried. "I've been locked in here…The last I saw him was when you carried him out to the nursery." - _The nursery!_ I gasped.

"What?" he screamed at me.

I swallowed roughly. "Jacob…the rebel groundskeeper…he told me the nanny was also a rebel. Edward, Siobhan must have taken him," I said, unable to speak louder than a whisper.

"Now Siobhan is a bloody rebel as well," Edward grumbled, mostly to himself.

"She wouldn't hurt him, would she?"

He turned back to me with that same empty menacing glare. "You tell me," he said darkly. "You tell me if Siobhan would hurt him. You're the terrorist, not me. You should know how they think… But I promise you this, if he is harmed I will hold you responsible and hunt every last member of your family into extinction."

I shook my head again. "Edward, please, I don't know anything about the rebels anymore. Before I saw Jacob in the garden, I hadn't been in contact with any of them since I first found out I was pregnant. I left before…remember? I ran to my family during the rioting, but when I found out I was pregnant…I came back…._willingly_, because my loyalties were to you and our baby. Edward, I swear to you, I don't know where Anthony is and all I care about is that he's safe."

"You're loyalties are to me?" he asked mockingly.

"Yes, you are my husband, and I love you."

"Which is why you were going to poison me, right?"

I shook my head, but didn't waste my breath with denying it yet again; he knew I wasn't going to use that poison on him, he was just being cruel at that point. Our son was missing, we should have been banding together to find him, not repetitively arguing about the same thing over and over again.

"Lucky for you, I know exactly how you can prove your loyalty to me," Edward then said threateningly. I had no idea what he had planned, but a shiver ran up my spine regardless. He left momentarily, only to return with a guard dragging in a man who had his hands tied behind his back and his face concealed with a sack…and then Edward handed me a dagger.

My heart dropped. "I am not killing him," I said slowly, already guessing what he wanted from me. I couldn't have been sure, but I assumed the man was a rebel, and since I made the mistake of telling Edward Jacob's name, I pretty much figured it was him.

"I was not going to ask you to kill him," Edward said emotionlessly as he pulled out a second dagger from his belt. "You're going to make a choice."

He grabbed the man by his hand restraints, and then told the guard to leave. When it was just the three of us, Edward forcefully pulled the man closer to me, and then he pushed him down to his knees before placing his dagger at the man's throat.

"This is your one and only chance, Bella. Choose carefully," Edward said, sounding completely dead inside. He then ripped the bag off of the man's head, and the moment his identity was revealed everything else disappeared. There was no more deafeningly loud battle outside, no more shaking ground below my feet, and no more homicidal Edward - there was just him….

"Emmett!" I screamed.

"Bella?" Em mumbled back.

Somehow I found the strength to crawl over to my brother, but before I could get there, Edward jerked him away from me violently. "Aww, what a beautiful little family reunion," Edward sneered. "What I wouldn't give to see Charles Swan's face when he finds out I have both his children."

"Edward, please don't do this," I murmured, but he ignored me.

"So, here is how this is going to work – I'm going to count to ten, and then I'm going to slit his throat."

"No! Edward, please, I beg you."

"But you have a choice," Edward continued. "This is your test of loyalty. You have a dagger, so you can choose to use it on me to save him, or you can prove your loyalty to me and let me carry out the long awaited execution of this terrorist. Do you understand the terms?" Before I could utter a single word, he began his count. "One…Two…"

"Edward, please, if you love me, if you ever did, please don't do this," I begged him.

"Three…Four…Five…"

"God, this is my brother!" I shouted desperately.

"Six…Seven…"

"Edward, this isn't you. Stop this, please."

"It's okay, Bells," Emmett mumbled painfully. "I love you."

"Eight…"

"Emmett, no! Please, please, _Please!_" I screamed.

"Nine…"

Edward jammed his dagger harder into my brother's neck, and I could do nothing but squeeze my eyes shut to escape the unbearably excruciating sight before me. My conscious screamed at me to use the dagger in my own hand to save my brother - I didn't even have to kill Edward, just hurt him enough to stop him - but my body refused to move. I was pathetically paralyzed in shock, and my brother was about to be murdered because of that unforgivable weakness.

What occurred next was a complete blur. The commotion forced my eyes open, but it all happened so fast that I didn't realize what was going on until it was over. Somehow, Emmett broke free from his restraints, and he managed to spin around and use Edward's dagger against him.

Edward collapsed slowly, or perhaps I just watched him fall in slow motion, and the moment his body hit the floor, I couldn't help but scream and rush to him.

"Edward! Oh, my god!" I cried hysterically.

I grabbed ahold of the handle sticking out of my husband's chest, intent on pulling it out, but Edward reached up to my hand to stop me. He stared at me as he fought for breath, and a thousand words passed between us without a single noise escaping either of our lips. I couldn't tell if he was remorseful or still full of rage, but it didn't matter anymore, I just needed to hold him.

"Bella…come on, we have to go," I heard a distantly familiar voice mutter from somewhere behind me.

"No," I whispered. "No!" I then screamed. "Edward! You can't do this to me. Come back!"

I felt sick with madness. Edward had become the very evil I always loathed, but I still loved him more than anything. It was confusing, and disorienting, and made me absolutely nauseous. I had no idea where we could have possibly gone from there, but I certainly didn't want him to die. It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest and torn into pieces before being set on fire. The loud explosions from the battle outside was nothing compared to the intense thunder of pain enraging inside of me at that moment. It was too much…

I vaguely sensed another presence enter the room, but from the depths of my own personal hell, I just didn't care. I was in a blind hysteria as I begged my husband not to leave me, but then I was grabbed from behind and something was forced over my mouth and nose, and then everything went black…

* * *

*****A/N:** Whaaa?! LOL

******Did Edward have an unbelievable drastic change, or what? If you stick with me it'll all make sense soon, and yes, HEA is still coming, I promise! :)


	18. Faith

Chapter XVIII – _Faith _

For the brief few moments between sleep and awake, I thought it had all been one horrible nightmare, but when I couldn't fight the darkness anymore, I knew it was all real. With several rugged jolts under me, I blinked my eyes open and realized I was in a covered carriage accompanied by my brother. A big part of me wanted to leap into his arms and thank god he was okay, but then the reality of the situation hit me full force.

Emmett killed my husband.

I had no idea where we were or where we were going, but with Edward gone and no way of knowing where Anthony was, I decided I just didn't care. I lost absolutely everything, and there was nothing left that mattered.

"Bella?" I heard my brother say, but I squeezed my eyes shut again, and tried to block him out. I wanted to block the world out and go back to a time when everything was better. The coastal estate where Anthony was born was my happy place…the only time I truly felt safe. How did things go so wrong?

I had no idea how long we traveled for, but eventually we came to a stop and Em gently took my arm to help me out. I didn't want to go, but at that point I was completely dead inside and didn't even notice my legs moving.

"Father!" Em shouted, but not even that could knock me out of my daze.

"Thank the lord," I heard my father say as he wrapped his arms around both Em and me; again, I couldn't bring myself to care, but then he said something that shocked me back into lucidness. "Where is your mother, did she get out?"

"Our mother?" I asked perplexed.

"She doesn't know?" Charles asked Emmett.

"She's been pretty out of it," Em replied solemnly.

"Is he dead?" Charles then asked.

Em shrugged. "I don't know. Last I saw him he didn't look very good. I didn't know about this plan, if I had…" he let his sentence trail off.

"It's not your fault, son, you were imprisoned for a very long time. We had no idea if we were even going to get you out or not. I'm just grateful you were finally able to escape. The timing couldn't have been more perfect."

"Okay, what is going on?" I finally choked out.

My father was about to answer me, but then another caravan of coaches arrived. The one in the rear didn't stop like the rest and continued on its way to wherever it was going, but the other three came to a halt and the drivers opened the doors to let the passengers out.

"Momma!" I heard a little voice call, and everything else disappeared.

"Anthony!" I called back to my son, and then I raced to him and scooped him into my arms. I couldn't believe it; it felt like a dream or some heavenly delusion that my mind was tricking me with. Was I really holding my baby again? How was it possible? How did he get there? Where were we even at?

I squeezed my baby tightly, and kissed him all over his face which made him giggle, but then I couldn't help but glance up at Siobhan exiting the carriage. I didn't know whether I should attack her for kidnapping my child, or embrace her for saving him. However, right as I was about to open my mouth to question her, my father stepped between us…

"Renee," he murmured, shocking the hell out of me. "You've finally come home," he cried quietly before rushing to her and wrapping her in his arms.

I was beyond confused, and angry, and shocked, and everything in between. I just didn't understand any of it. "What is happening?" I mumbled absently.

"Mom's alive," Em said with tears running down his face. "We're all back together again."

"Mistress, can I escort you to a room to rest?" a young woman asked me, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

"Uh…" I tore my eyes away from Charles embracing Siobhan, and looked at my surroundings for the first time. We were at an expansive country farm, much like the one I grew up on, but it was a place I had never been before. There was a big house sitting behind us, three smaller structures in the distance, a large wooden planked barn, and endless miles of green pasture. If I wasn't so achingly confounded by everything I would have thought it was beautiful.

"Mamma!" Anthony shouted at me, drawing all of my attention back to him. _Momma_ was just about the only word he could say, and he used it for everything so I wasn't quite sure what he wanted.

"He must be hungry," Siobhan said unexpectedly.

I couldn't help but glare at her. "You stole him," I accused with restrained anger. I didn't want to frighten Anthony, but I certainly couldn't handle her speaking so casually to me at that time.

"Your mother _rescued_ him," Father corrected me.

"My mother," I repeated, still in stunned denial. I was far too young to actually remember my mother, but I was having an incredibly hard time accepting that as a fact.

"Bella, please, I will explain everything to you soon, but it's been an exhaustingly long journey," Siobhan said gently. "Go inside and get cleaned up and rested."

"I will bring you and the baby some food," the young woman said encouragingly.

I didn't trust any of them, but Anthony was getting restless so I grudgingly complied. Once again, I was back to feeling like the world was out to get my son, so I kept him close to me at all times. I couldn't even take a moment to grieve my husband because I was so paranoid from the fact that we were surrounded by monarchy hating rebels. It didn't matter that they were my family, from the moment Anthony was conceived, they became my enemies, and I still saw them that way.

There were clean clothes for both me and Anthony in the room we were using, so we bathed and dressed, and because nobody actually brought us any food, we had to venture out to find something to eat.

"I need to feed him something," I said coldly after I found my way to the kitchen and saw everyone moving about and setting the table.

"Dinner should be ready momentarily, ma'am," a little old woman said sweetly. "Here is some fresh bread to tide over the little one," she said while handing it to Anthony.

A few minutes later, the table was set and everyone was coming inside to eat. Besides Father, Emmett, and Siobhan, there were several other people I did not know sitting at the table, but all I could do was stare at the plate placed before me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit with those people and pretend everything was fine, so I took my plate, and my son, and without saying a word to anyone, I went back to the room.

Much to the protest of my son, I ate the first bite and then waited to make sure it wasn't poisoned before feeding him. Logically it didn't make sense that they would try to kill us after going to all that effort to bring us there, but then again, nothing about the situation made sense, so I couldn't be too careful. After we cleaned the plate, Anthony fell right asleep on my shoulder, but I still refused to lay him down. I didn't even want him a few feet away from me; I had to hold him, it was the only way I could keep him safe.

After sitting there lost in thought for an undetermined amount of time, suddenly there was a light knock at the door, and without waiting for me to reply, the door squeaked open and Siobhan peeked in. "Bella, may I talk to you?"

"You can talk, but that doesn't mean I'll listen," I stated emotionlessly.

She smiled somberly before coming inside and shutting the door behind her. She came to sit next to me on the bed, but I reflexively scooted further from her. I was still holding my son, and despite her keeping him safe on the trip out there, I didn't want her anywhere near him.

"Bella, you have to know, I would never hurt him," she said, sensing my discomfort.

"I don't know anything anymore," I said honestly.

"I know you're confused, and I can only imagine how betrayed you feel right now, but…honey, I swear, this has all been….for the greater good."

"The greater good?" I said with a humorless laugh. "What the hell is that supposed to even mean?"

"I suppose I should start from the beginning."

"You think?" I snapped at her.

"When you were a baby, an opportunity opened up for me to take a job at the palace. The timing was horrible, and I didn't want to leave you and your brother, but….we couldn't pass up on the opportunity. We had been waiting for that opening since long before Emmett was born, so I had to take it. I didn't know how long I would be gone for, but I certainly didn't think it would be for this long."

"So…You were a rebel posing as a nanny at the palace," I concluded for myself. "For what? What was your objective? To get close enough to the prince to eventually kill him?"

She shook her head. "I got a job there as a seamstress. The plan was to go to the fitting of the king's royal dress…and then to kill him…but nothing went as planned. When I was there, I just happened to befriend the stable master who later disclosed the true identity of his grandson he was raising. He needed a nanny for him, and I….I saw an opportunity."

"An opportunity?" I said frustrated. "An opportunity for what?"

"An opportunity to one day…replace the king. I sent word to home about my idea, but your father never received the message."

"Who did?" I questioned.

"My brother…. Bella, don't be mad at your father about any of this, he honestly believed I was dead…Carlisle thought it would be better that way because he knew Charles would never agree to it, and the truth was, I could have died and probably should have several times…. Sweetheart, if I didn't feel so strongly that this could save the kingdom, I would have never sacrificed those years away from you and your brother. But Bella, you have to understand, I…we thought this was our chance to make the world a better place. To give you a secure future… To give everyone the king we all desperately needed."

"How? How were you planning on doing that?"

"Edward needed someone…he needed a mother type figure who could teach him what none of the others in the monarchy ever learned…_love_. It became our plan to have me raise him the way a boy should be raised, and then one day, when the time was right, we would take out Caius and secure Edward to the throne. He was supposed to be our kingdom's savior…"

"Yeah, well I guess you didn't count on how strong Aro's influence was," I said bitterly with tears streaming down my face.

"We knew exactly how strong Aro's influence would be, what we didn't count on…is you."

I laughed once. "Me? You're blaming Edward's disturbing transition on me?" I asked incredulously.

"We wanted him to know love and loyalty, but…the way he loved you…Aro knew exactly how to use it against him. Bella, you have to understand, it wasn't just normal influence, Aro has… he has people. People who know how to twist and control the mind in ways that can be impossible to unravel. They beat him down until he was a broken pile of nothing…and then they built him back up into the version of him they wanted. I saw it happening, but I hoped…I hoped that he would hold onto the foundation I built for him, and the love he had for you, but…"

"But it wasn't strong enough," I concluded.

"Of course it was strong enough. Bella, I don't want you to ever feel guilty over this, but Edward was willing to do absolutely anything for you…even _kill_ for you. Once you take someone's life, it changes you…numbs you, which is exactly why Aro made him do it. Edward found a way to turn off his emotions except for when he was with you and Anthony. He was able to escape all the horror inflicted by his forced hand, and use you as an anchor to his soul…. But Aro played on his fears of losing you, and in turn he let Aro lead him down a dark path, and eventually he did those terrible things of his own free will…or at least, Aro made him believe it was his own will, when in reality, Aro's hold on him was even tighter as he stopped shadowing him."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked suspiciously.

"I witnessed it. I had been around long enough that Aro deemed me inconsequential and harmless, and never feared speaking in front of me. I watched Edward fall into darkness, but all the while I had hopes he'd find his way back out. Carlisle had given up, he told me Edward had to be taken out but I begged him to give me more time…to give _you_ more time. If we could have just…killed Aro, Edward would have been able to dig himself back into the light, but…"

"But?"

"I overheard what happened the other night…when you told him who you really were. I think…. I think he just felt…"

"Betrayed."

She pressed her lips and nodded. "Aro beat the notion into him that there was no greater evil than the rebels. Edward believed him…he was forced to believe everything he said…except for the negative parts about you, but when he found out Aro was right about not trusting you, I think he just…gave up. He gave up what little hope in humanity he had left."

"You heard all of that, so you what? Just decided to take Anthony and leave?" I asked with more tears.

"I knew the attack was coming…I needed to get you both out, but at that point, you were locked inside, so I took a chance and decided to wait and get to you when I knew I'd have back up. Anthony was a different story, I knew he'd be taken below once the palace was threatened, so I had to get him out before any of it started."

"Did you know Emmett was there?"

She hesitated while fighting back tears, and then she shook her head. "Carlisle never wrote to me about him. When I met my brother at the last check point, he said that he didn't tell me about Em because there was nothing I could have done so there wasn't a point in worrying me, but…maybe if I had known, maybe I could have found a way to help him."

"Well, I knew he was taken, but I did nothing," I said absently.

"Oh honey, he could have been absolutely anywhere. None of this was your fault."

"Are you kidding? It's all my fault!" I cried. "If I had been honest with Edward from the beginning, he wouldn't have been taken so off guard. He would have…I don't know, maybe helped me find Emmett…If I had told him the truth back before Aro got his grips on him, he might have been strong enough to hold on to the good and…so many innocent lives could have been saved….Edward's life could have been saved."

Siobhan sighed. "Edward is not dead."

My heart jumped. "What? I saw him….I saw Emmett stab him."

"I want you to know that none of that was planned. Emmett didn't know he was your husband, he didn't know I had raised him, he didn't know any of it. He was imprisoned for a very long time; he couldn't comprehend anything going on…he thought you were in danger, and since learning the truth he's been…well, he's been very upset with himself."

"Can you please just tell me how Edward's alive?" I asked anxiously.

"Em stabbed him…but it didn't hit anything vital. He will recover physically."

I felt like I had been holding my breath for an incredibly long time, and finally I could let it go and breathe freely again. "I need to go back to the palace to check on him. Maybe…maybe if I can make him understand, maybe he could forgive me."

"He's not at the palace, and there is nothing he needs to forgive you for. Bella, you did nothing wrong. Edward fell so far from himself that he needed to be stopped one way or another."

"If he's not at the palace, where is he?" I asked in a panic, ignoring everything else she just said.

"He's out in servant's house by the barn."

"The servant's house - _here?_" I asked while reflexively standing to go to my husband.

"Yes, our people brought him here with us, but Bella, you can't go see him now."

"Why not?" I spat. "He's my husband, I thought he was dead."

"He's extremely angry right now. Aro's mind controller really did a number on him. Even more importantly than healing his body, he needs to heal his mind. We need to undo all the damage his father did to him."

"How?" I asked in hopeless skepticism.

"Time….Carlisle has been studying the same techniques Aro's mind controllers used on Edward, and he's hoping to eventually alter them to clarify him."

"And then what?" I asked warily.

"This kingdom needs a king, Bella….If we can get the Edward I raised back, the man you married, we can save this kingdom once and for all."

"And what if you can't? What if Edward never let's go of Aro's teachings?"

She sighed. "Then I suppose we wait until Anthony is of age, and take over the monarchy then."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What would you have done if I didn't birth an heir? What would have happened if Edward married someone else?"

"Nobody could have planned what happened between you two. Your union was a match written in the stars…but, had he married someone else, and had a child with someone else, and still turned the way he did, we probably would have kidnapped his wife and child just the same. If we can't save Edward's mind, then we must try something else to rid the world of Aro's tyranny. Having you as the heir's mother, only makes all of this so much simpler and complex at the same time."

"You raised Edward the best you could and he still turned into a monster, how do you know the same won't happen with Anthony? I don't want this for him. I don't want him to grow up good and pure only to be corrupted by that evil palace."

"The palace isn't evil, Aro is evil, and I swear to you, Anthony will not ever be in that man's presence again. If or when he takes his place in the monarchy, it will be after that tyrant is dead."

I shook my head. "You people have been trying to kill Aro for decades…It hasn't happened thus far, so how do you know he'll be dead by the time Anthony is of age?"

"We will finally accomplish our goal, Bella, I know we will. Have faith."

_Faith?_ It seemed like such a distant notion after everything that happened. "How do I know I can trust you?" I asked her. "I came to Uncle Carlisle, I begged him to spare Edward's life. He said he was beyond saving. He said he would kill his child if he ever had one, now you expect me to trust that he's not going to hurt either of them? That he's now trying to save Edward? I'm sorry, I just don't buy it."

"Carlisle lost hope in our plan after learning of the terrible things Edward had done, but I've convinced him that this will still work, that we can still rehabilitate Edward into the ruler he was meant to be. Carlisle is fully behind this again, you can trust him. He will not harm Edward, and he certainly will not harm Anthony."

"But you still haven't said what will happen to Edward if you can't fix his mind?" I questioned. Despite everything, he was my husband, and now that I knew he was alive, I would stop at nothing to protect him, especially from my uncle.

"If Edward cannot be trusted with the kingdom, he will never be allowed to leave here." Siobhan – _my mother_ – abruptly became lost in some distant memory, and she smiled. "When he was a boy, Edward used to beg his grandfather to run away with him to start their own farm…at least if he stayed here, maybe he could find glimpses of that little happy boy he once was. He needs to return to his birthright, but even if he doesn't, I swear to you Bella, I will not let anyone harm him," she assured me with conviction.

"You really do care about him, don't you?" I asked quietly.

She smiled somberly. "I spent a long time talking to your brother about this earlier today; he couldn't understand it, he justifiably feels betrayed, but yes, I love Edward very much…as much as I love you and your brother. You and Emmett…you have always been my reason for existing, everything I have ever done has been with you in mind, but being so far from you for so long…I needed someone else to use that love on, just as much as Edward needed to be loved. I never stopped loving you, but…he made it bearable to be away."

I could understand why her words would be offensive to Emmett, but strangely I understood completely. "Loving Edward has always made everything else bearable."

"Bella…"

"I understand what you mean, and its fine. I'm glad he had you…and I'm glad he still does. I doubt my opinion of him would have been enough to save his life around these people without your support."

"Carlisle will ultimately decide if or when he's ready to return to power, but he gave his word that he will not ever harm him, or Anthony. I trust him, and you can too," she reiterated. "Bella, I know it's going to take time, but we're going to be here for a while; I want you to feel secure here. I want you to begin to build a home for Anthony where he can run and play and thrive. That's what he needs, and that's what everyone here is intent on giving him. He is safe here. Trust that, and trust in your family again. We all make mistakes, without forgiveness, we are truly lost."

I thought about it for a minute, and then I nodded. "You're right…It will take time. I don't even know how to trust anymore."

"Then you will need emotional rehabilitation, just as Edward does," she semi joked. "I think we could all use help on the matter."

I smiled sadly. "I just need to see him… I need to judge for myself that he's okay."

"Edward is like a caged animal right now. He certainly shouldn't be around Anthony, and I sincerely believe seeing you so soon would set him back even further. Time and faith, it's the only way to make it through this."

I took another deep breath, and then finally conceded; just knowing Edward was alive and close by made all the difference. Aro had destroyed the light inside of him, but I prayed it wasn't extinguished irrevocably. If time could really heal all wounds, I'd wait forever just to have my love back whole again…


	19. Hope

Chapter XIX - _Hope_

It was difficult to get comfortable in my new bed at the Cullen hideout farm. Despite the fact that my son was sound asleep beside me, and the house was full of my family who all reassured me that we were safe, there was still a strong unease in the air, especially at night when everyone else was slumbering.

Suddenly there was a light knocking at my door, and the unexpected sound nearly made me jump out of my skin. I didn't want to wake Anthony by jostling the bed, and I certainly didn't want him out of arm's reach, so I chanced a hushed response. "Yes?" I whisper yelled.

The door squeaked open to a crack, and a figure lit from the back peeked inside. The person wasn't big enough to really be a man, so even with her face shrouded in shadow, I knew exactly who it was before she uttered a single word.

"Siobhan?" I questioned. "Is something wrong?"

She opened the door just enough to squeeze inside, and then she closed it behind her. "I've had to live by that false name for a very long time, but…if you don't mind, now I'd prefer to be called Renee….or even mom," she said awkwardly.

Her comment only reminded me of a previous question I had. "Why 'Siobhan' anyway?"

"We had no way of knowing if they knew my real name or not, so I needed a cover name," she said as she crossed the room to sit in the chair under the window. It was still dark, but the small candle she carried lit her path enough for me to know exactly where she was.

"Yes, I understand the need for a cover name, but I was curious, why pick an Irish name if you went in there unaware of Edward's existence?"

She sighed. "We didn't know of Edward, but we were aware that the king was fond of the Irish who had just visited a few years prior. Your uncle figured giving me such a name would allow more ease if I was able to find my way into the king's graces."

I suppose that made sense.

"Siobhan…_uh, I mean Renee_… is something wrong? Is it not still the middle of the night?" I asked warily.

"No, it is… Please forgive my intrusion, it's just…." She hesitated.

"What?" I pressed.

"Well, there are a lot of people in this house, and when your uncle was planning the sleeping arrangements, he just assumed I'd share a bed with your father since we are technically still married, but…"

"You've been gone too long," I concluded.

"I still love your father very much, and always will, but…it's just too much too soon, I think. I was trying to sleep on a chair in the sitting room, but then I remembered there were two beds in here, and I figured you'd probably keep Anthony in your bed so the other one would be empty….If you're uncomfortable I'll go find somewhere else to lie."

"No…it's fine," I mumbled unsure. I'd hate for her to sleep on a chair or scratchy rug somewhere when there was a perfectly good bed right there, but I'd be lying if I said her presence didn't still make me unnerved. She did, after all, lie for a very long time about who she really was, which I suppose I too was guilty of, but she also took my baby without my knowledge or permission. I truly wanted to believe she wasn't going to hurt him, but she was still a rebel, and rebels wanted all of the monarchy dead. That idea was so engrained in me that it would be difficult to let go of.

"Are you certain? I don't want to keep you awake at night with worry," she asked gently.

I swallowed away my anxiety, and nodded. "Of course. There's no sense in you sleeping on a chair. Go ahead and lay down while you can. I'm sure morning will call us up soon enough."

"Thank you, Bella," she said before moving to the bed.

We both remained quiet for a long while, and I figured she had gone to sleep, but then she spoke again. "It's difficult being here, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously. I knew why it was difficult for me, but I was wondering her reasons for feeling that way.

"We're so close to freedom here….and yet, so entirely far away. Sometimes I think it would have been better to stay at the palace under Aro's rule. It was like living in a prison, but at least we weren't in danger of hope. Apart from losing one's child, I can't imagine anything worse than destroyed hope…it's better to have no hope at all."

"Do you really believe that?" I murmured.

"Unfortunately, I do. Maybe I've become a pessimist since losing Edward to Aro the way that we did, but even now, without Edward we have nothing, so… it's hard to let hope in when we've witnessed the devastation Aro's influence has caused. But we have no other choice but to hope Edward will come out of this the man he once was…it's just… that hope is so incredibly fragile right now, and I honestly can't recall a time I've been more terrified."

I took a deep breath. "We both know Edward's heart. Regardless of what has been done to his mind, I believe his heart will overpower it and he'll come back to us… He has to," I said with conviction. The few terrifying times I experienced with him did not subjugate all the good. I would hold on to the Edward I loved, and refuse to give up until he returned.

"I hope you're right," she whispered.

We didn't converse anymore on the subject, or at all, until long after the sun was up. Everyone was strangely subdued that morning, and it honestly gave me the chills. "What's going on around here?" I asked my father. With so many people on a working farm such as that, I would have expected everyone to be busy with chores or whatnot, not lounging around sulking.

Charles took a deep breath. "There was an attempt on the prince's life last night."

"What?" I cried. "What happened, is Edward okay?"

"He's fine, your brother was watching him and managed to thwart the attack…Now, I have a trial to deal with."

"A trial?" I asked confused.

"We must do things justly here, otherwise what's the point? Everyone is extremely upset about this because the man who attacked him is a good man who's close to many here. I don't believe he was a traitor to our cause, but…you have to understand, most are here because they have been directly affected by this monarchy in some horrible way…emotions run high knowing the prince is this close and virtually defenseless from his chest wound… I sympathize with this man, but an attack like that can't be allowed, and everyone else needs to know the consequence."

"Father…how can I even begin to feel my son is safe here when this is happening?" I asked him quietly so no one else could hear.

He shook his head ever so slightly. "Nobody's safety can be guaranteed, Bella… We just have to have hope in the natural goodness of people. The baby is innocent, and I sincerely believe everyone here perceives him that way."

I sighed from his lack of assurance, and then I took my son outside for some fresh morning air. My eyes were immediately drawn to the little servant's house by the barn in the distance, and I ached to see my husband. He was still recovering from being stabbed, so to learn of the most recent attempt on his life was just unbearable. I wanted to go to him, to make sure he was safe, but I also understood the reason for keeping my distance. He wasn't the loving man I knew, he was angry and felt betrayed by everyone, and seeing him then would only be damaging - at least, that was what I was told. Still, being that close and yet so far was torture.

"Are you okay?" someone asked abruptly from behind, making me jump.

It was Emmett.

"Oh…yeah…fine," I said awkwardly.

"You weren't doing so well the last time I saw you," he said concerned.

I shook my head dismissively. "This has all been a bit…overwhelming, but for now my son is safe, so I'm fine… But I should be asking about you? I heard you saved my husband last night? Thank you, Em."

Emmett walked forward to sit on the porch step. "Yeah…. It's a bit disorienting going from being imprisoned for close to three years, to almost killing the prince, and then saving him from one of my friends."

"Well….why'd you do it?" I asked carefully. Emmett had no real reason for coming to his aid, but he did, and I was incredibly grateful. "I'm surprised you even volunteered to watch him overnight."

"I'm pretty confused about the entire thing myself," he admitted. "I loathe the monarchy….well, except for you and that little guy," he said with a smile while looking at my son. "And I have to admit, I think Carlisle's plan of reinstating this prince after everything he has done is ludicrous….but….there is a small part of me that wonders."

"Wonders what?"

"Bella….he…he loosened my restraints."

I scrunched my brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"That night…that night he brought me into that room in the palace….when he had the dagger to my throat and he was yelling at you to choose….he…he…loosened my restraints. The guard that had me before made them so tight that it would have been impossible to get free the way I did, but when the prince pulled me across the room, he loosened them. I thought maybe it was by accident, but the more I replay the memory in my head…I could almost swear he did it on purpose…almost as if he…_wanted_ me to get free and turn the dagger on him. Why would he do that, Bella?"

"I don't know," I said honestly.

"I swear it's been haunting me since the moment it happened. I mean, I wouldn't hesitate to kill someone if they were threatening you….and if I was fighting for my own life I would fight till the end, kill or be killed and all that, but….it feels like…I don't know, like I stabbed an unarmed man or something. I know that's crazy since he had the dagger to my throat and said he was going to kill me, but…I don't know… I can't help this overwhelming guilt I have over it. Maybe I just feel….responsible for him now in a way; like I have to protect him to make up for my sin."

I had no idea how to respond to that, I was probably even more dumfounded than he was, but thankfully Em wasn't really expecting a response.

"So, how'd you get forced to marry into the monarchy anyway?" he asked after a minute. "I can't imagine how horrible that was for you. I think I'd take the dungeons over living with those monsters any day."

I smiled at the bittersweet memory. "I wasn't forced…not in the way you would think anyway. I fell in love with Edward before I knew who he was…and then Caius died and everything changed. I got pregnant so I assumed that meant I'd spend my pregnancy in the dungeon and then I'd be killed after the baby was born, but…Edward wouldn't have it. He convinced the king to let us marry, and for a time, we were actually pretty happy."

"Then what? You realized what a disgusting tyrant your husband really was?"

"Edward wasn't like that, not even in the slightest, he hated Aro almost as much as I did. Aro…he did something to him; got into his head somehow. Carlisle told mom he knows what was done to him and that's why he thinks he can fix him."

"Well I hope that's true, because whatever Aro did to him sure makes it hard to believe he was ever good in any capacity. I've tried talking to him; he's one nasty piece of work."

"And yet you still feel the need to protect him," I pointed out.

"Yeah well, I still don't know if that's just guilt or something else entirely."

Anthony was getting restless, so I sat on the step next to my brother and then tentatively let him go toddle on the grass in front of us.

"Wow, I didn't think you were ever going to let that kid out of your grasp," Em said impressed.

I sighed. "I won't let him out of my sight, but I certainly can't hold onto him continuously."

"Nobody is going to hurt him here," he tried reassuring me.

I bit my lower lip. "I'm sorry, I just don't trust that. Everyone was supposed to be here supporting Carlisle's plan, but someone just tried to kill Edward, so…."

"That's different. The people here, they're…"

"I know," I cut him off. "Mom talked to me about it, but I can't just…blindly trust people I don't know, especially with Anthony."

"Do you trust me?" he asked unexpectedly. "I mean, I was the one who almost killed your husband and all."

"I want to trust you," I said honestly, "and hopefully one day I will, but right now…I just don't feel like I can trust anyone."

"Even after I saved the prince last night?" he asked with playful incredulousness. I was just grateful he didn't seem to be really offended.

"I'm close," I told him with a smile. "Close to trusting you, and maybe even mom again, but…I'm just not _quite_ there yet."

He nodded. "Fair enough."

My brother and I sat and talked a while more as we watched my son playing and exploring before us. It was actually really nice. I was happy to feel like I was catching up and getting to know my brother again, and I was so beyond thankful that my loyalty shift to Edward hadn't cost him his life. I had given up on finding him, and I was truly remorseful for that, but like so many things, there wasn't a point in dwelling on the past. All we could do was move forward into hopefully a better tomorrow.

All the while I was talking to my brother, I couldn't help occasional glances in the direction of the servant's house. Despite the monster Emmett claimed he witnessed recently in Edward, I still ached to visit him, and to know for myself that he was okay. It was during one of those quick glances that I saw my uncle leaving the house…

"Em…Um, do you mind if we could talk more later? I really need to do something," I said, and without giving him a chance to answer, I scooped up my son and rushed to meet Carlisle.

"Carlisle!" I called to him as I approached.

"Ah, Bella, I'm so happy you're finally home and safe. I apologize for not greeting you earlier, especially given how we parted the last time we were together."

"It's fine," I said dismissively.

"And your son looks to be in good spirits," he added with a friendly smile directed towards Anthony in my arms, who in turn smiled back at his great uncle. "I do need to apologize about everything that happened, and I wish I could find your friend to apologize to her as well, looking back on it, I can fully understand why you both would run, and I'm truly sorry. Jasper hasn't been in contact with his sister either, and he's been very worried. Do you have any idea how to contact her?"

"I haven't talked to Rose since we were here last, that was almost two years ago," I said, remembering my own concern about her.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Me too," I agreed. "Carlisle, listen….I was wondering when I could see Edward. I just want to talk to him, to know he's okay. I'm sure he's been worried about Anthony too. If I could just assure him he's safe, maybe I could find a way to convince him to trust you a little, and maybe…"

Carlisle put his hand up to stop me. "Bella, if I thought your presence would help break through to him I'd have you in there in a heartbeat, but," he sighed, "unfortunately you're still the last person who should be in there right now. Just this morning he was telling me how much…he hates you. He said he'd kill you if he ever got his hands on you again. I'm sorry, Bella, he sees you as a traitor, and right now he's in the mindset that traitors should all be killed."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I'm sure he's said a lot of hateful things to you about me, but there is no way he'd actually hurt me."

"He thinks we placed you into his life on purpose. He thinks it was all a lie, and you only got close to him so you could eventually kill him and the king. He even thinks you got pregnant on purpose to use the child against the monarchy. And, I don't know what he was talking about, but he kept saying you were involved with someone else there, and never actually cared for him."

"What?" I spat. It was absurd. He knew damn well that I didn't get pregnant on purpose; the night Anthony was conceived I had no idea what was going on, and I certainly was never with anyone else. Aro must have implanted those thoughts as well, but if Edward even thought he hated me, then how were we ever supposed to even attempt to get him on our side?

"I sincerely hope things will get better with time, and I believe it's possible, but right now…he's too far gone for you to be safe, and the child definitely shouldn't be around him. I'm sorry," Carlisle said sincerely.

As much as I believed Carlisle was being honest about everything, that didn't mean I agreed. I didn't doubt Edward said all those terrible things about me, but saying them and acting on them were two entirely different things. Throughout the process of Aro prodding his mind, Edward had remained steadfast in his love and protection of me and our son; it wasn't until he learned the truth of my family that his conviction faltered. Of course he felt betrayed and he lashed out, but I refused to believe he stopped loving me deep down. Real love could never disappear, and that's exactly what we had.

I agreed to keep my distance for a time, but that time turned out to be much shorter than Carlisle probably assumed…..


	20. Blinded

Chapter XX – Blinded

Being rebels meant we were basically cut off from society and the rest of the world, so we had to rely on ourselves for survival. We had a farm, which included various animals with sparse pastures to graze, a field of grain, and a garden capable of producing vegetables. Everyone had to pull their own weight, and that included me…

"So…where can we help?" I asked as Anthony and I entered the garden. Although it was capable of producing vegetables, it looked as though it hadn't been tended to in a very long time.

"Right now we're just trying to remove all these weeds and get this soil ready to be fertilized," a woman I did not know explained. "Go ahead and dig in wherever you'd like."

I stood Anthony on the ground beside me, and then got to work pulling the weeds out of the dirt. Anthony was excited to watch his moma digging around, so of course he wanted to 'help', but it wasn't long before he decided to dress me up with grimy weed roots on top of my head. He clapped and giggled out loud at the sight, as did the rest of the women working there.

"Oh, does moma look pretty like this?" I asked him as a chunk of mud fell from my hair.

"I do have to say, he is absolutely darling," one of the women commented. "I wasn't sure what it would be like having a princess and a young heir here, but you seem very relaxed."

I laughed once. "I'm not sure 'relaxed' is the right word, but we certainly can't stand by and do nothing while everyone else is working, _can we_?" I asked Anthony. He didn't really understand what I was saying but he smiled and shook his head no.

"He certainly is a handsome young boy," another woman added. "And that hair, it's so unique."

I never gave much thought to Anthony's hair being unique; I suppose it was because he had the exact shade as his father, but then again, it wasn't all that long ago that I used to spend hours marveling over Edward's distinctive beauty, so I suppose it made sense others would be drawn to our son as well.

"I'm lucky he takes after his papa," I said while admiring Anthony's appearance for what was probably the first time. He was my baby, so I always thought he was beautiful, but seeing him through someone else's eyes gave me a chance to really understand just how gorgeous he actually was. I didn't mean to sound conceited, but I was definitely proud to call him mine.

"I haven't gotten a real look at the prince, but I did hear he was quite the looker," the first woman said.

"He is definitely that," the second woman confirmed. "Carlisle ventured into the nearest village a few days ago to find him some whores to offer, but I almost volunteered myself because of how handsome he is."

Surprisingly to me, her words didn't bother me at all, but they certainly affected the other women.

"Why would he get the prince some whores? I thought he was our prisoner?" one woman asked.

"He's trying to get the prince on our side; offering him a little _hospitality_ couldn't hurt. Besides, I'm sure he could use a little something to loosen him up."

"Perhaps we shouldn't be discussing this in front of the princess. We are talking about her husband being with whores here," the blonde woman suggested.

"Oh, I doubt she cares. Nobody marries a prince thinking he's going to be monogamous. I'm sure she was plenty used to him being with all his concubines. Right, your highness?" the first woman asked me snootily.

"I only know of him being with one concubine in particular," I said honestly. "But you were correct in your assumption - I really don't care about whores. Right now, I'm mostly concerned about getting this garden ready for planting so we'll have enough food to sustain everyone here."

"Bella is right, you ladies should do less gossiping and more working," Emmett said, seemingly coming out of nowhere. "Hey, do you mind helping me with something for a bit?" he then asked me.

"Uh, sure," I said while standing and brushing all the loose dirt off my dress and hair.

I took Anthony by his hand, but he didn't want to leave the mud pile he was playing in, so he threw himself down and refused to move. I was about to pick him up, but Em beat me to it. "I got him," he said lightly before throwing him over his shoulder and tickling him, making him laugh. I couldn't help but smile fondly at my brother interacting with my son; it was a sight I never thought I'd get to see.

"So…what do you need help with?" I asked as we left the garden area and headed towards the main house.

"Well, to be honest, I was just walking past and overheard those wenches speaking out of line. I thought I'd save you," he replied with a smirk.

I smiled back at him. "My hero," I joked. "Really though, I want to help so I should get back."

"You shouldn't have to listen to that. I mean, they're just trying to get to you."

"I'm a big girl, I can certainly take it," I assured him.

"Still, I'm sure there's something else you can do around here that doesn't involve listening to them."

"Well, if you have any suggestions I'm all ears."

He thought about it for a moment. "You can collect the eggs from the chicken coop. I bet Anthony would enjoy that."

"Yeah, he'd probably end up throwing half of them," I said with a laugh.

"Oh…true…Why don't you let me take him for a bit? He could help me with the man chores; I'll teach him how to harvest the grain or plow the fields."

I bit my lip and glanced at my son, before looking back at my brother apologetically, and shaking my head. "I'm not ready for that yet."

"You can trust me, you know."

"I know I can, but knowing something and actually believing it wholeheartedly are two entirely different things."

"No, I know that…In time," he said understandingly.

"In time," I echoed.

"He refused them…just to let you know."

"I don't know what you mean," I said confused.

"The prince…He refused the whores Uncle offered. I think Carlisle figured it would put him at ease, especially after he tore up the servants' house and all, but it seemed to just make him angrier."

"Edward tore up the servants' house?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, he was pretty pissed after he asked Carlisle how long he'd be kept here for, and he basically started throwing things and tossing the furniture around, and whatnot. He even set a small fire in the room from one of the broken lamps. He was so uncontrollable that they had to move him out to the barn."

"So they're going to have him sleeping in the barn now?" I asked incredulously. "That's barbaric."

"What do you want them to do? He wouldn't stop. He's like a rabid animal. The whores didn't work, so they figured putting him out with the horses would at least settle him for a time. It was Garrett's idea."

"Garrett?" I shouted. "Garrett's here?"

"Yeah, you know him? He came in last night. He's a member of the Denalis… Apparently he worked undercover at the palace for almost as long as mom did. Father thinks it's too dangerous to let you or mom see the prince right now, but they were hoping maybe Garrett could get through to him… Of course, that was before Edward went crazy and destroyed the house…come to think of it, perhaps learning his old mentor is also a rebel contributed to his outburst."

"Uh, you think?" I said sarcastically. "His nanny, wife, and now mentor…It would be a lot for anyone."

"Yeah, but you'd think after a while he'd realize that since all these people he cared about think a certain way, maybe it's actually the right way….You know what I mean?"

"Or maybe he just thinks we were all really good at our jobs," I said solemnly. "If he gets free from here you better believe the first thing he's going to do is quadruple his security clearances."

"Yeah well, if he doesn't change his mind about us, he's never going to get out of here at all."

"Well, let's just hope Uncle knows what he's doing," I mumbled quietly.

Later that day, after wandering around the farm looking for a suitable job for me to do with Anthony in tow, I settled on helping the laundry ladies with all the washing. Those particular women were mostly older and didn't seem to talk much, so I was grateful for the silent work. With so many people getting so dirty every day, the washing took most of the day, and despite my continued unease with everyone, I was grateful when my mother came to entertain Anthony for a while. I hated having him out of my sight, but if anyone was going to care for him other than me, she was the only one I was even remotely comfortable with.

I was so busy with my work, that it soon became dark before I even realized where the daylight had gone. The evening was brisk with the cooler season approaching, and my mind unintentionally wandered to my imprisoned husband only a few hundred yards away. He was locked in the barn, a place hardly warm enough for animals, and I couldn't help but worry.

I worried all the way back to my room where I was relieved to find my mother and son already fast asleep, so I began to change for bed myself when an enticing thought consumed me - Anthony was safe without me for the time being, that meant I had a few moments to myself…a few moments to do the one thing I had been aching for since our arrival at the farm…

Without taking a minute to overthink it, I grabbed the extra blanket off my bed and draped it over my head as a means of concealing my identity. No member of our little farm community was as watched as I was, so any way to cloak myself was better than nothing. Thankfully, at that late hour, most had succumbed to their tired overworked bodies and were already slumbering, therefore staying inconspicuous wasn't very difficult.

I was beyond relieved when I made it all the way to the barn without being caught, but then something made me hesitate. Edward was my husband, and despite everything he had done, I loved him and was desperate to make sure he was okay, but at that moment I was devoured by doubt. What if he really did hate me enough to want to kill me? Was it even worth the risk?

I stayed quiet and listened for any sounds inside, but after hearing nothing my love overcame my fears and I took the risk. Very carefully I pushed the barn door open, which squeaked loudly making my jump, but after a few moments of stillness I decided to continue inside. It was dark, too dark; if it wasn't for the small, nearly extinguished candle dully glowing in the far side of the barn, I would have been completely blinded. A loud voice in my head told me to turn around and go back to my son, but I ignored it and slowly made my way towards the light.

As I drew closer, my eyes adjusted and I was able to make out a figure faintly illuminated in the glow – the long lean figure of a man lying motionlessly on his stomach with his head turned away from the light. Even without seeing his face, I didn't have a doubt it was him; his soul sang to mine and it was a song I'd never mistake, but then I noticed something disturbing. Were my eyes playing tricks on me in the low light? Surely I couldn't really be seeing what I thought I was seeing.

I grabbed the candle and brought it closer to Edward's unconscious form, and I gasped in horror.

Suddenly a cold rough hand was covering my mouth to keep me from screaming out, and then I was quickly dragged out of the barn against my will.

"Hush now!" a man's voice said sternly. "You'll wake him."

I turned to face my uncle, and then immediately began attacking him. "You bastard! How dare you strike him!"

"Shh!" he tried calming me while attempting to block my blows. "I never struck him, I can promise you that."

"I saw the scars on his back. Those are scars from being lashed, don't you dare deny it!" I yelled at him.

"Yes, and they're months old at least," he said, taking me aback.

I paused as I considered what he was saying, but then I shook my head. "Nobody at the palace would dare lash him; he's the crowned prince."

"Nobody but the king," Carlisle said unexpectedly, causing my chest to constrict painfully. "My consultants explained that it was part of his conditioning."

"Conditioning?" I repeated absently, feeling like there was a razor sharp lump in my throat.

"It was a way to control him, to make him think the way Aro does. From my understanding, anytime Edward would question something, anytime he disagreed or spoke against the king, he would get lashed. Usually Aro would have someone else do it, probably a man he'd claim was a rebel, just to further drive his hate for us."

I continued to shake my head in denial. "That doesn't make sense. Surely Edward would know Aro wouldn't really let a rebel beat him in that way…and how could I have not noticed him being hurt?"

"Nothing about mind control makes sense to someone who's never experienced it. Logically, from an outside point of view, we can say that doesn't make sense, but as it was explained to me, the victim is in a distressed state from the torture that they start to believe anything they're being told. He may have started out strong and determined, but…over time, the mind just can't hang on to logic and reason. As for you not noticing he was hurt, was there ever a period of time you didn't see him? Maybe for a few days, even a week at a time?"

Horrified, I nodded. "I never knew why he would occasionally not come to me. I thought a hundred terrible possibilities as to why he wouldn't show, but none of them came close to this…Surely I would have seen his scars since then, _right?_ At least when we were intimate."

"Perhaps not; not if he purposely avoided revealing his back to you… I doubt you would have even noticed his evasion."

"No, I suppose not," I said absently as I let the disgusted guilt I was feeling wash over me. How could I have been so blind? How could I have stood by and not noticed my husband literally being beaten into submission? Even worse, what kind of monster would do that to his own son?

"How can we ever hope to fix this?" I asked my uncle as tears streamed down my face. "They said you were planning to use similar tactics that were done to him to get him on our side…You can't…"

"I would never lash anyone, or let anyone else lash someone either," he assured me with conviction. "That is precisely why undoing all the damage Aro did on him will take much longer than it was to change him in the first place." He sighed heavily. "We're still trying to figure it out…but, I have to believe eventually we'll break through to him."

I bit my lower lip. "Let me talk to him."

"Bella, no! I already made the mistake of putting you in danger before, I promised your father I would not do that again. He's hostile right now, and much of that anger is directed towards you and your mother. He needs more time. Now, you promised you'd stay away, so why am I finding you here tonight?"

I huffed. "It's getting colder. I was bringing him a blanket."

Carlisle wasn't convinced, but he took the blanket from my shoulders anyway. "I will see that he gets it. Now, please Bella," he said while gesturing for me to return to the main house.

"You can't keep him out here through the winter. He'll freeze to death."

"The animals will keep him warm."

I grimaced.

"Bella, this is his choice to be out here. He destroyed the servant's house. Since then we have offered to move him back but he's refused. He's even been going on a hunger strike, so…"

"A hunger strike?" I nearly shouted. "You can't let him starve."

"We're not_ letting _him do anything; he's doing it to himself. Emmett and Garrett held him down earlier today while your father and I tried to force food down his throat, but…that boy is stubborn and shockingly strong for his build, even in his weakened state. I really am dreading him getting his full strength back; we may have to put him in irons."

"You certainly will not chain him!" I spat.

"We will do whatever necessary to keep him from escaping. If he gets away, we have nothing."

"We'll still have Anthony," I contradicted quietly.

Carlisle sighed. "Only if Edward doesn't manage to take him with him. We have to be extremely careful over the next several weeks. One wrong move and we'll be in a fight we can't possibly recover from. Now please," he said before gesturing towards the house once more.

I took a deep breath, and then grudgingly complied. Everything Carlisle had said made sense, everything except for the part about me needing to keep my distance. Sure Edward hated me on the surface, I betrayed him and that was certainly unforgivable in his eyes, but after learning of the horror he had endured – all the beatings and mind games - Edward's love for me was the one thing Aro could never control, and I had to believe that despite everything it would still prevail. Perhaps the key to getting through to him was reminding him of that love, and I was the only one who could do that. So the next night, when Carlisle let another man take watch over Edward, I snuck back to the barn…


	21. Bound

Chapter XXI – _Bound_

Earlier that day, one of our allies had arrived at the farm in a carriage stocked full of wine and whisky; it seemed ridiculous to me at the time that we'd risk our exposure for such a frivolous indulgence, however as Edward's nighttime watcher lay unconsciously drunk by the barn door, I was grateful. Sneaking past a sober man guarding our camp's sole prisoner would have been difficult, to say the least.

Just as the previous night, I pushed open the squeaky door only wide enough to squeeze myself inside, and then I followed the lone candle's dull glow through the darkness to the far side of the barn, but then I froze in my step as I noticed one major change from the night before - This time, Edward wasn't sleeping - this time he was sitting at the small table the candle was on, and he appeared to have been reading a book of some sort before noticing my presence there.

Edward stared me down, and for the first time I honestly felt like I didn't know him. His eyes were unreadable, but every other inch of him emanated hateful tension. He was angry by my presence - _beyond angry._

"What the hell are you doing in here?" he seethed.

"I…I…I wanted to check on you," I stuttered, suddenly feeling extremely small as I cowered into myself. "It's getting co-cold at night; I wanted to make sure you had enough blankets."

"Well I'm fine, but from the looks of it, you're not," he said in a menacing tone. "Does your father know you're in here unaccompanied? I mean really, your uncle must secretly wish for your death, first sending you into the palace the way he did, and now this."

I bit my bottom lip, and seriously considered retreating, but for the life of me I couldn't force my legs to move.

"Nobody knows I'm in here," I admitted foolishly.

"Well then you're stupider than I ever considered," he sneered.

"Perhaps so," I mumbled in agreement. It struck me as odd that despite his threatening tone, he never moved from his seated position. Usually when someone was trying to scare someone else they would try to tower over them in an intimidating way; Aro had displayed such a stance on many occasions, but it seemed that was one skill Edward had yet to adapt from his father.

As he glared at me, I couldn't help but search within his eyes for even the slightest hint of the man I loved, but he hid it well. Regardless of his hate, however, I decided in that moment that I was not afraid of him. Not now, not ever. Fear was my most significant weakness, and I refused to submit to it for a moment longer. I had been in the presence of Aro, the devil himself, and I survived; certainly I could stand up to my own husband.

Something made me glance at the plate of rotting food near his feet. "You know, refusing to eat only hurts your chances of ever leaving this place."

Edward laughed humorlessly. "Is that why you're really here; to convince me to eat my dinner? Why in hell would I ever listen to a worthless whore like you?"

He was trying to get to me, and I refused to let him. "If I'm a whore, than you must be my best customer," I said evenly.

"Oh, you're definitely a whore. You've given your body in order to receive something else in return. You weren't paid, but you sure as hell fucked your way into the perfect position to get exactly what you wanted, didn't you."

"I didn't know who you really were when I slept with you the first time!" I exploded at him, but then I stopped myself and took a deep breath. That was what he wanted. He knew all too well that the idea of being a concubine had infuriated me, and being called a whore was that much worse. He was trying to make me angry so I'd leave; well, I wasn't going to fall for it. "If you really believe I'm a whore, then I suppose I can't change your mind," I told him as calmly as I was capable of. "So tell me, does it bother you more that you married a whore, or that a whore outsmarted you?"

"Nothing bothers me more than knowing my son is being raised by someone as deplorable as you," he seethed. "You do realize that everyone here wants him dead, don't you? This terrorist group's mission is to kill the entire monarchy, and that includes him."

"If they wanted you dead, you would be already," I told him emotionlessly.

"WHERE IS MY SON?" he snapped ferociously.

I wasn't expecting his outburst to be that intense and it definitely made me jump, but I quickly recovered myself and squared my shoulders again. "Anthony is safe."

"There is no such thing as safe with these heathens! The fact that you trust any of them with his life proves you never even cared about him in the first place. Did you get pregnant on purpose just to use him as some pawn in this sick game of yours? Have you no compassion for your own child?"

"Nobody here wants to see any harm to him…but, just to be safe I left him with the one person I know for a fact would never hurt him."

"You can't trust anyone here with him, Bella!" he snapped.

"I trust my mother!" I yelled back. "She's done a lot of things, but I don't have a doubt she loves him."

"Your mother?" he questioned. "So you lied about her being dead as well. Why the hell am I surprised?"

"No, I thought my mother was dead. Even when I met her at the coastal estate I didn't know who she was."

"The coastal estate?"

"Siobhan is my mother," I informed him quietly.

He stared at me for a moment, and then he shook his head and finally got up from his seat and began pacing. "This little plan of yours has been in the works for an extremely long time, hasn't it? And you have the audacity to tell me you didn't know who I really was in the beginning…"

"I didn't!"

"Of course you did! Your mother raised me! You expect me to believe it was all one big coincidence? I knew you were stupid, but I guess I'm really the fool, aren't I?"

I took another settling breath. "I went to the palace because I believed my mother had gone there when I was a child and was killed. My father didn't even know the truth. I wanted to finish her work. I didn't know the truth until we came here. It was a coincidence, or maybe…."

"Maybe what?" he goaded. "Maybe it was fate? I don't think so. Maybe it was your uncle playing you just as much as you were playing me. That man is evil, and you have the nerve to accuse my father of the devils work?"

"My uncle hasn't always done the right thing, but he certainly isn't a heartless tyrant who would lash his own son!"

"What? What the hell are you talking about now?" he asked, sincerely seeming confused.

"I saw your back. I snuck in here before and I saw your scars. Carlisle told me how you got them and that is barbaric. No one here would ever be so heartless."

He shook his head slowly. "Once again, you have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

"Oh, so Aro didn't order you to be lashed?" I challenged him. "I'm sure he told you some ridiculous lie as to why it was happening."

"The only lie about it was the one your uncle told you. I chose to have the lashing. It's a tradition spanning centuries."

"A tradition?" I asked in appalled disbelief.

"Yes, a tradition. Every crowned heir since the beginning of our line has volunteered to endure such a rite. Lashed, burned, stoned, or hung from the neck for a twenty count; it's the choice of the heir."

"What? Why?" I spat.

"It's a way to prove worth and strength, but more importantly, it's a way of sympathizing with the people. A ruler should never force its subjects into a punishment they wouldn't endure themselves. Several generations ago, the heir would choose to endure _all_ of the rituals, but when a few of them died in the process they made a rule to only allow one."

I shook my head in utter disbelief. "How does any of that make sense? Aro lied to you."

"No, he didn't. He chose to be lashed when he was in my position as well. It's not a secretive tradition, I had known about it from the beginning. Caius chose to be buried….of course, he refused to let them cover his face, but still."

Suddenly I had a sharp pain right to the spot between my eyes, and I couldn't help but try to rub it out with my fingers. "Why…I don't understand…If this is true, why wouldn't you tell me about it?"

"Why would I? So you could freak out and get even more resentful of my father than you already were?"

"You weren't his biggest fan either," I argued.

"No, I think he's a sick bastard, but most kings are. You met the Irish king James…they're all like that. One has to bury their emotions and make the tough decisions when responsible for an entire kingdom, and many times it makes them…numb, and cold, and crude, but that doesn't make him unqualified to rule. Every king is going to have their supporters and their protesters. You can't please everyone."

"He kills ruthlessly…his own people!" I shouted uncontrollably.

"Yes, he kills people…criminals and disturbers of the peace. If a king didn't have the strength to do that the entire kingdom would be in chaos. What you deem cruel, is just a necessary evil. You can't possibly understand that since you were raised with extremist beliefs by rebels who are pissed because the king has done something they disapprove of. Again, there is no pleasing everyone. If Carlisle was king, I can guarantee there would be other groups rising up against him. That's the way it has always been and will always be. Why can't you understand that?"

I shook my head again, still in denial. "Aro has messed with your mind…you hated him as much as I did."

"Carlisle and your father are the only ones trying to mess with minds. Do you know that every day Carlisle has some mind controller wacko come in here and try to convince me that the rebels are saints and my father needs to be murdered? They actually think they can mold me into their own personal assassin. It's sick, Bella. You think you're with these people to fight the bad guys, well I have news for you, you're on the wrong side. These people want us dead. Me, Aro, and yes, even Anthony. The only reason they haven't killed me yet is because they honestly believe they can eventually control me enough to kill my father, and then they'll use me as long as I stay in line, then they'll kill me too and move on to Anthony. That is their plan!"

"I don't believe that," I said quietly.

"That is because you believe the lies they told you," he said, suddenly softening his voice. "You're just their pawn too, you know. They whored you out because they honestly don't care about you, or anyone else. All they want is to take control of the kingdom…and you're playing right into them. Even if you don't believe me, at least…be vigilant. I'm sorry I said you don't care about Anthony, I know that's not true, but you can't be reckless with him. These people will kill him if he doesn't fit perfectly into their plans."

"My mother would never let that happen…and neither would my father or brother."

"But are you that sure about everyone else here? Carlisle?"

My thoughts wandered to the not so distant memory of when I had first found out I was pregnant. Carlisle said he would kill an infant heir, and suddenly I found my conviction wavering. The truth was I didn't trust my uncle…I didn't know who to trust, but I definitely wasn't ready to believe Edward either.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt Anthony," I murmured. "And right now, this is the best place for him."

"How can you say that?" he asked frustrated. "You don't have to believe me about your uncle, but these people…"

"Have never shown me a fraction of the evil violence Aro has," I interrupted him. "I'm sorry, I don't understand how anyone could hurt their own child the way he's hurt you…whether you asked for it or not. Do you really want Anthony to endure all of that? Aro is a callous oppressor that needs to be removed from power. Nothing you can ever say will convince me otherwise."

"Well if I can't convince you, and you surely can't convince me of anything, it seems you have no more business here," he said coldly before gesturing for me to leave.

"I guess you're right," I said, and then without saying goodbye I turned and headed for the door.

"And Bella…do us both a favor and don't ever come back!" Edward called after me.

For a reason I didn't fully understand, his last words made me angrier than anything else he had said that night. It was illogical and ridiculous, but I refused to allow him to dismiss me in that way. I was still his wife, so until one of us was dead, he couldn't get rid of me that easily.

I slowly turned back to him and became completely locked in the moment. What was I hoping to accomplish by pushing my presence on him? I had no idea, but I couldn't force myself to leave.

"Why are you still here?" he asked bitterly. "We have nothing left to say to each other, so just…go away."

"You can hate me all you want, but we are still bound for life," I mumbled absently while lost in my own befuddlement. Married or not, he was right, we were irrevocably conflicted and had nothing left to say, so why couldn't I leave?

"You don't have to worry about our vows, I'm sure one or both of us will be dead before this is all over," he said darkly.

It was odd, but that was the first time I truly understood we'd never be together again. Of course I already knew we were broken beyond repair, but that was the moment it really sunk in. Despite everything, I had loved him deeply, and that wasn't something that just disappears. The beauty of what we had was gone, and I was suddenly hit with that unbearable grief. It had to be one of the most painful things I had ever experienced. Never again would I see his smile or feel his touch, never again would I look in his eyes and know I was where I belonged. It almost felt like he died…and yet, he was still right there in front of me, and suddenly I was desperate. Desperate for just one more touch…

I didn't make the decision to move, and I didn't even realize when it happened, but very abruptly I found myself wrapped around him. My legs were twisted in his, my arms managed to lock themselves around his torso, and somehow, someway, my mouth had attached to his lips. I didn't intend for it to happen, it was almost disorienting in a way, but it felt so good that he'd have to force his body away from mine before I'd let go…and that was exactly what he did.

He shoved me away from him, but I didn't fall to the ground the way I was half expecting. Instead I just stood there and tried to calm my heart and sort my thoughts. Part of me wanted to apologize and explain that I had no idea what came over me, but in addition to my frozen form, my voice seemed to have disappeared. I could do absolutely nothing. I was completely at his mercy.

He stared at me with a mix of shock and anger, but then…

"To hell with it," he mumbled almost unintelligibly, and the next thing I knew, I was back in his arms and our mouths were back to attacking each other. He kissed me hard and painfully, and I only wished he'd find a way to kiss me even harder. If pain was the only feeling we could give each other at that point, then that was exactly what I wanted from him. Pain, aggression, fury; I wanted it all, and I wanted him to feel my anger in return. He had failed me, he followed his father into darkness, and I wanted to let him know just how much I hated him for it…and he hated me just as much.

We clawed, bit, and threw each other around in a violent battle of raw emotions. We took turns offending and defending, and I wasn't sure if either of us would come out alive. I knew if someone walked in on us they'd think he was attacking me, but the truth was I must have been fighting twice as hard as him, and I refused to let him back down even when he tried.

After slamming hard into two of the barn walls, eventually we wrestled to the hay stack he had been sleeping on, but even then I continued to try to fight him. I went from kissing him to hitting him, and back to kissing again, but the moment he rolled us over so he was on top of me, he seemed to have had enough with the violence.

"Stop it!" he growled while restraining my hands over my head against the hay.

I didn't respond verbally but I complied and stopped the fight. We laid like that for an immeasurable amount of time, just staring and breathing each other in, and then I saw it - that look in his eye that only he could give. He had buried it so deeply, but in that moment I was sure he was still there - the man I loved more than anything.

He loosened his grip on my wrists just enough to let me slip out of his grasp, and I reached up and gently knotted my hands into his hair. I wasn't sure how he'd respond, but somehow I wasn't surprised when his lips came tenderly back down to mine. All of our aggression had evaporated, and in its place was pure, unadulterated passion.

Neither of us spoke again, but piece by piece our clothes came off, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he pushed himself inside of me. We made love like it was the first time and the last time all rolled into one. I'd cry, and he'd just hold me until I calmed; he'd rest his head against my forehead and have a moment while stroking my face and hair, and I'd just hold him tighter. When we climaxed, we didn't want to let each other go, so we held on as if we couldn't even remember how to be apart anymore, and then we ended up making love again.

It continued that way throughout the night, and despite nothing being resolved between us, I knew we'd never attack each other in aggression again. None of our differences mattered when we were wrapped up in that way, nothing else mattered except for the two of us. We could forget the world and just live for the other in those few precious hours of darkness…but then dawn broke through the cracks of the plank walls, and I knew there was one thing that was more important than staying in his arms forever…

"Anthony will be awake soon…I have to go to him before he knows I was gone," I whispered to Edward before kissing him gently on the temple.

He looked like he was sleeping, but I knew he was every bit as awake as I was. He didn't respond verbally, instead he just moved his arm from where it was resting across my back, and then he rolled over away from me and continued to pretend to be sleeping.

I kissed his hair one more time, and then breathed him in before forcing myself to dress quickly. I didn't look back when I headed to the door, because I didn't have a doubt I'd return under the cover of darkness again. I didn't care that he was technically a prisoner and I was supposed to be his enemy, nobody would stop me from getting to him.

I slowly opened the door and was grateful to find his watcher still passed out, so I snuck past him and hurried back to the house to climb in bed with my sleeping son before anyone even had the smallest inkling I was ever gone. I knew the entire thing was crazy, but I simply didn't care. Edward and I were bound together by more than just marriage, and that was something that could never be broken no matter how much we tried…


	22. Progressing

Chapter XXII – _Progressing_

"Bella?" my mother asked strangely, so I looked up at her from the washing bin. "Is everything okay? You seem a bit out of it," she said concerned.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I just had trouble sleeping last night so I'm a little tired," I explained before forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. The truth was that I was in a daze - a daze of anxious anticipation for the sanctuary of nightfall when I could sneak my way back to my husband. I had spent that entire morning and afternoon daydreaming about the night before, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't think of much else.

"Anthony, no!" my mother suddenly shouted, making me reflexively jump to my son.

"What are you doing?" I asked him as I scooped him in my arms, but there was no need for him to answer because it was clear as day – he was playing with an old corroded nail he must have found on the ground.

"If he gets cut by that it could give him fever," Mother said worriedly.

I quickly but carefully removed the iron from his hands, and then asked a man walking past to dispose of it. "I swear, I can't look away for a moment without this little monster finding some trouble," I said with a mix of frustration and amusement.

Mother smiled fondly. "Oh, the joys of parenting little ones."

"Yeah well, at least at the palace Anthony had three guards at any given time making sure this kind of thing didn't happen," I replied.

"Yes, that is one good thing about being a royal child of the palace; getting hurt by something so simple is hardly even a possibility."

I laughed once. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"No one wants children to get hurt, but in that environment, they can't even explore, or climb trees, or…get themselves into any trouble at all. How will they learn if they're never allowed to make mistakes? Children need to be free to be children, so they can lean to make the right decisions as adults." She took a deep forlorn breath. "Of course, what do I know about raising children to be good adults? I abandoned my own children to raise a boy that would become the very evil I had dedicated my life to fight against."

I sighed. "Emmett and I are fine, and Edward isn't evil….he's just…lost."

"Usually when someone is lost they are beyond being found," she said hopelessly. "Oh, I'm sorry for being so despondent; I suppose lately I've just felt a little bitter…like I wasted so long on something that was never going to work. I gave up all those precious years with you and Em, and for what? We're no better now than we were before I ever left."

"If you would have stayed in our lives, I would have probably never gone to the palace," I told her.

"Exactly! You could have done something amazing with yourself, but instead you've been plagued by the same meaningless life as I endured."

"Oh, mother," I said in disapproving disagreement. "My life isn't meaningless, and neither is yours. Every day that I wake up to Anthony's joyful face I am grateful for all I had to endure to get to him. And despite everything that's happened and is still happening…I still love Edward, and I don't regret a moment I spent with him. Somewhere, under all that harsh resentment, he's still a good man, and _you're_ the reason for it. You taught him how to love, and I have to believe eventually that good part of him will prevail."

She smiled solemnly. "I hope you're right, dear one. It's just…it seems like we've already been here for so long without any progress from him…it's hard to stay positive."

I shrugged. "Maybe he is progressing but we just can't see it. Maybe one day he'll surprise us."

"Well…wouldn't that be a wonderful day," she said while caressing my chin. "Now, we should get back to work. These linens won't wash themselves. Perhaps if we finish by super we can take the rest of the afternoon off to entertain that little man."

We both looked at Anthony affectionately. "Let's see if he can stay out of trouble until then."

The day stretched on, and somehow our huge pile of washings only got bigger as the evening approached. People would just add to it throughout the day, and with a growing camp of our size, it honestly seemed never-ending. By nightfall my back ached and my feet throbbed, but the moment my son fell asleep and the farm became quiet, I had a sudden burst of energy.

It was just as easy to move through the grounds as it was the two nights before, however this time I was met with an impossible obstacle.

"Halt! Who goes there?" an aggressive voice demanded as I approached the barn entrance.

"_Halt, who goes there_?" I asked mockingly. "Let me guess, you were a palace guard?" I questioned the man whom I wasn't acquainted with. I couldn't help but grudgingly wish the drunken man from the night before was still charged with Edward's watch. _Damn responsible sobriety!_

"Undercover for ten years," the man confirmed. "And I was _very _good at it. Now, what is your name, and why are you out at this late hour attempting to approach the prisoner?"

"Um…I'm a whore," I said feeling just as pathetic as I sounded. "Carlisle sent me to, um… entertain the prince."

"Carlisle told me he refused the whores," he responded, unconvinced.

"Uh…right, but that was only because he didn't like those girls. The prince has…a type, and well, I'm it," I said with a ridiculously fake smile. _God, I was an idiot_.

The man folded his arms in discontent. "Nobody is getting in here tonight unless Carlisle himself tells me otherwise."

For a moment I seriously considered telling him the truth, but then he'd probably tell my uncle, and because I still didn't trust him, I immediately decided that was a bad idea. For a moment after that I even considered knocking the man out someway and going inside while he lay unconscious, but that too would probably end with more trouble for me, so I huffed and walked away…I may have even stuck my tongue out at him as I went.

Even though it seemed I was giving up for the night, that was far from the case. I proceeded to walk the perimeter of the barn, looking for some kind of solution to my problem, anything that would allow me a way in. The roof didn't look particularly efficient, perhaps if I was able to climb up there somehow there would be a hole big enough for me to squeeze through…but then, how would I get back out?

Just when I started feeling it was hopeless…

"Bella!" I heard a whisper-yell. "Bella, over here."

I turned and was absolutely flabbergasted to see a head sticking out of the side of the barn.

"Edward?" I asked in shock.

"Come in here before someone sees you," he rushed me. It looked as though he had moved two of the planks aside to make an opening big enough to let me through, but that only led me to a much bigger, much louder question in my head - If he had a way out, why was he still there?

He had his hand outstretched towards me, so I took it and let him pull me inside. I stood before him awkwardly for a brief moment, but just as I opened my mouth to voice my confusion, he closed it again by slamming his lips to mine. Once again we were back in a desperate frenzy, and all other thoughts and questions were temporarily forgotten.

Our clothes peeled off, and we quickly found ourselves back on the haystack. Even without speaking, we both knew how much we had missed the other since we were there the night before, and words weren't necessary to know how deep our affections still went for each other. It wasn't just physical, our connection was so much deeper and more intense than physicality could ever allow, and that's what I yearned for, that's what we both needed in order to survive.

We hadn't really talked much at all other than the explosive fight we had the previous night, so I was slightly anxious about even letting out the simplest discourse for fear of more arguing, but as we lay there peacefully in the afterglow of our latest round of lovemaking, there was one thing I couldn't keep in for a moment longer…

"How do you stand sleeping in here with that smell?"

I had no idea how he was going to respond, but I certainly wasn't prepared for chuckling; real, genuine, un-sarcastic, light laughter. "You get used to it after a while," he told me. "I actually like the smell."

I rolled over to my side to face him and propped my head onto my hand. "I grew up on a farm, and I never once got used to that smell, and I'd never go as far as saying I enjoy it."

"You grew up on a farm?" he questioned strangely.

"Yeah, I told you that," I said, confused as to why he had forgotten.

"No, I know, but I figured it was just part of your made up cover story."

I sighed. "No, most of what I told you was true…I had only left out the parts about my family being members of Cullen. My dad was always so busy working with the organization, and without my mom around, he didn't know how to raise a girl anyway, so I lived with my grandma on her farm. When my brother came of age and left to join the mission, I was the only one there to work the fields and tend to the animals, so that's what I did…but I never enjoyed the smell."

He laughed again. "Well, I can see how one would never find anything appealing in the stench, but for me, I guess it just reminds me of my grandfather, so…" He let his thought trail off.

"And you still miss him," I concluded.

"Things would have just been better if he didn't die. He'd never let any of this happen."

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that, but I decided not to press the matter.

"So…why are you still here?" I finally asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Why have you stayed in this barn when we both know you could sneak out through those loose boards that I came in through?"

"Yeah, and I could have easily gotten past most of the inept men assigned to guarding me as well."

"Well what stopped you then?"

"Where would I go?" he asked, taking me aback. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and there's at least three men guarding the horses at all times. I could take off on foot, but I'd be caught before I could get anywhere useful. There's no bars holding me in this prison, but the surrounding terrain is more than enough to keep me here, and I'm pretty sure that's exactly why your uncle chose this location. Besides, my sole heir is here….without him I'm nothing."

"You could always have other children," I said stupidly, and then I was forced to take a moment to wonder why the hell I would say such a thing. Luckily, it didn't bother him or give him any ideas.

"Well, unless I somehow took you back with me, there's no hope of conceiving other children," he said casually.

"There are other wombs than mine for you to implant," I said like an idiot. I bit my lip hard as a form of self- punishment for that one.

"Do you honestly think that I haven't considered that?" he said, suddenly becoming bitter. "I should have never gotten involved with you in the first place. I should have done the responsible, sensible thing and married that first princess Aro brought in for me. I've done nothing but make bad decisions when it comes to you ever since. The moment I found out who you really were, I should have taken Anthony into the safety of the palace basement where we were supposed to be, and just let you…succumb to the destruction of the attack. And then I should have married Victoria, who I'm sure would have still taken me despite my initial refusal. Hell, even here, I should have taken Carlisle up on his offer of whores. I'm sure one of them could have gotten pregnant. I bet getting a whore to become loyal would be a much easier task than hoping you'll reform."

"Then why didn't you?" I asked, letting my sour tone echo his.

"Because I can't!" he snapped. "I just…can't," he repeated a little less forcefully. "You've…ruined me."

"I've ruined _you_?" I said with a humorless laugh. "How could I have possibly done anything to you? I never asked you to marry me. I never asked you to have sex with me that first time either; I didn't even know it was going to happen until it was happening."

"I was trying to save you from Aro!"

"And I never asked you to!" I shouted back at him. "Besides, you're your father's son, at any time you could have done what he did and killed me and married someone else, and you certainly don't need to be bedding me now if you hate me that much!"

"That's the thing, I don't hate you," he said unexpectedly with a softening voice. "No matter how much I try, no matter how angry I get when I think about the truth of who you really are, I just…I can't hate you, _and I can't stop wanting you_. You're all I think about from the time I wake up, till the time I sleep, and then my traitorous mind has the audacity to conjure you in my dreams. I can't stand it. I don't even see other women anymore. They're all as physically appealing as men and animals."

I stared at him in shock for a moment…and then I broke out into hysterical laughter. I had no idea why I was overcome in that way, but I couldn't stop myself, not even when he choked back his own laughter to cover my mouth with his hand. "Shh, they're going to hear you!" he hushed me. "This isn't a laughing matter. I think I have a serious condition that could most sincerely be the death of me."

"Right, death by monogamy," I said through my hysterics.

"Well, I'm glad you're amused. Just know that this condition affects you just as much as it affects me."

"Oh yeah, how so?" I challenged him playfully.

"Because this little obsession of mine will most certainly end your life if I ever found any truth to my father's claim of your clandestine rendezvous with the staff."

"What?" I asked, less amused and more offended. "Aro accused me of being adulterous? When or how could I have ever been? I was constantly followed by my guard."

"Who do you think he said you were bedding? He claimed he saw you and him coming out of the abandoned dungeons together."

"Well, that is true. I went in there hoping to find my brother, and of course, because that man never left me alone, he followed."

"Oh, so you were doing your little spy work then, huh? I can't decide which is worse."

"If you think me being a Cullen is worse than me bedding other men then there's really no hope for us," I teased.

"You're right, there is no hope for us," he said seriously. "There's nowhere we can go from here. You're a Cullen, and I'm Aro's heir. Those two oppositions can never be rectified."

I sighed. "At least we still have this," I said while cuddling back into his side. I still didn't believe our marriage was hopeless, Edward could always change, but it wasn't worth voicing it. If he wanted to be stubborn and despondent then he'd have to wallow in his misery alone. I decided right then and there to not worry about tomorrow, and just be grateful for the present. I had no way of knowing what would happen, but right then, lying there in his arms, I was happy.


	23. Into the Sun

Chapter XXIII – _Into the Sun_

It seemed we were falling into a beautiful rut. Everyday I'd spend my time taking care of my son and doing whatever chore around the farm I could, and my nights consisted of being wrapped up in my husband's arms. When we weren't making love, we were talking and even laughing until we both fell asleep. As long as we didn't discuss the Cullens or the monarchy, Edward and I got along perfectly and never quarreled anymore. It was just as the way we were before I knew he was the heir and he knew I was a Cullen. He was sweet, and lighthearted, and so incredibly tender with his touch that you'd never believe he ever felt anything but affection towards me. We were just two people in love, and it was wonderful, but it was also like living a half-life, especially for him.

I knew all too well how exasperating it could be being locked away. The entire time I was a concubine, even when I was the princess, my life was always about waiting…waiting for the time I got to spend with Edward; now our roles were reversed, it was Edward who was doing all the waiting. His entire life had become the inside of that barn, and the only human contact he had - besides my uncle's ridiculous attempts at_ 'fixing his mind'_- was me. It couldn't continue like that indefinitely. He was sure to go mad if something didn't change soon.

"Father, may I have a word with you?" I asked Charles one morning. We really hadn't spent much time together since being there, so it was a bit awkward.

"Of course. What's on your mind, sweetheart?" he replied while putting down the rake he was holding.

"Well," I took a deep breath. "Edward has been in that barn for a long time now. I know the plan is for him to eventually side with us against the king, but…how will we ever make him understand if he's always locked up in there? I mean, I wouldn't trust the people who imprisoned me either, would you?"

Charles sighed. "Bella, I hear what you're saying, but the truth is he's in that barn under his own doing. We tried to have him in the servant's house…"

"Yes, but that was a while ago," I interrupted him. "Perhaps it's time to try again."

"Both your uncle and I have stressed the fact that it's an open offer to him. He knows that at any point he can move back into the house."

"What, if he agrees to more interrogations and attempts to control his mind?" I asked incredulously.

"No, there are no conditions for his move, all he as to do is tell us that's what he wants."

"Well….maybe…maybe you should let me talk to him," I suggested nervously. Nobody knew I talked to him every night, but it would sure be nice to not have to hide it anymore.

Of course, I should have known my father wouldn't be very receptive to the notion. "Bella, we talked about this," he said sternly. "It's not safe!"

"Edward would never hurt me," I tried assuring him.

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do! Can't I just try? Emmett could even accompany me for protection if it would make you feel more comfortable."

"No! Out of the question. You have had to endure enough of that man's cruelty for one life. I'll never let you suffer from him again," he said with conviction.

"Suffer? Father, Edward was never cruel to me. He's said some unkind words, but he was angry and felt betrayed. You all keep forgetting that I fell in love with him, and he fell in love with me. It wasn't a forced union. And even if it was, he's still my husband and I have a right to see him."

"Technically, you're not really married," he said unexpectedly.

"What?" I spat. "Of course we are."

"No, you were under a false name; the prince married Isabella Dwyer, not Isabella Swan. Since Isabella Dwyer doesn't exist, you're not really married."

I huffed. "Wow Papa, thanks so much for making me a whore and my son a bastard," I said bitterly.

"Now, I did no such thing. Your uncle sent you into the palace against my wishes, and nobody told you to marry anyone."

"I did what I had to!" I snapped.

"Exactly! You did what you had to, and now it's time to get your life back. Never mind the prince; I don't want you to think of him again."

"I think of him every time I see my son!" I told him strongly. "Regardless of the name I was married under, Edward is my husband, and nothing you can say will change that. Now, I want to see my husband!"

"Not going to happen," he maintained.

"Then, at the very least, make someone take him outside every once in a while. He needs sunlight, fresh air, exercise; he can't stay in there forever."

Father pressed his lips and stared past me for a moment, and then nodded his head slightly. "I'll talk to Carlisle about it."

"So, is Carlisle your superior now?" I asked mockingly. "Because I thought you two ran Cullen _together_?"

"We had…a difference of opinion some time ago. There was a vote, and he won. He makes the final decision for everything now, and to tell you the truth, I'm grateful to be relieved from that responsibility. I was never good at making tough choices."

"Oh, so now Carlisle's a dictator, huh?"

"This isn't a monarchy, Bella, nobody has authority over anyone else, but someone has to be in charge otherwise it would be chaos."

"And what happens if you disagree with something he decides?" I questioned.

"We discuss it, and then there's a vote with the council. Listen to me, I don't wish to treat the prince the way his father would have people treated, but until he shows some kind of sign he's not a threat to anyone here, that's the way it has to be."

It was clear I was at yet another impasse with someone I cared about, so I simply shook my head and walked away.

I was so frustrated with it all that I almost spoke up and tried discussing it with Edward again that night, but recent memories of our explosive fights kept my mouth shut. He knew something was bothering me, but he too dared not vocalize it; neither of us wanted to waste our precious time quarreling. If my father wasn't going to help me, I was at a loss as to who would. However, as dawn chased me back into the main house early the next morning, I realized that something was definitely about to change.

"Well, good morning," my mother said while reclining in a small chair outside the bedroom we shared. "You're up awfully early."

"Uh…yeah, I was… checking on the chickens. There's some kind of animal spooking them because a few stopped laying."

Mother pressed her lips. "You know as well as I do that some chickens slow their egg production this time of year."

"Well…"

"How long have you been going to him at night?" she asked knowingly.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," I played dumb.

"Funny, I've been finding stray pieces of hay in your bed. First I thought it had come in on Anthony, but I'd clean it at night after he was bathed, and then it would be back by morning. And…." She reached out to me and pulled a shred of hay from my hair.

"I can explain that," I said anxiously.

"You really don't need to explain anything, it's certainly none of my business. I just want to make sure you're safe. Has he been cross with you? Aggressive in any way? Is he threatening you; is that why you're going to him?"

"No," I stated as answer to all her questions. "I wanted to see him, so I went there…and I've continued to go to him every night since. It's been a few weeks or so," I admitted.

She nodded while deep in thought. "How has he been?"

I sighed. "He's been perfectly sweet to me, just like he was before, but…he can't live in there forever. I'm worried about him."

"But Carlisle and your father had said he was threatening you before? Suddenly he's just fine?" she asked skeptically.

"No, it wasn't suddenly. The first time I went there we fought…a lot, but he never took an aggressive stance towards me…and then I guess we both realized that no matter how much we tried to hate the other, we just couldn't. We haven't fought again since."

"Well, that's definitely something," she said with a supportive smile. "I have to admit, I didn't think he'd ever want to be around you, or me, or Garrett again."

"I wasn't sure myself, but I had to try…I only wish there's more I can do to convince him to come out of the barn without it turning into another argument."

"Just give it time," Mother encouraged. "Oh, I think I hear Anthony. I'm sure he's confused as to why he's waking up alone."

I nodded and then went to tend to my son.

After breakfast I went right to work with my daily chores, but once again I was caught in a distracted daze. Usually mother picked chores that would align with mine so we could spend that time together, but I had yet to see her since our discussion early that morning. Was she talking to Father and Uncle about what I told her? Would the three of them then make it impossible for me to see Edward again?

"Yoo-hoo, Bella?" someone said, forcing me out of my internal concerns and back into the present.

"Emmett, hey, is something wrong?" I asked my brother.

"Uh…no, everything is fine. You just seemed lost in thought or something; you didn't even notice that I was here."

"Oh, sorry, I do have a lot on my mind."

"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked.

"No, not really, but thanks."

As I got back to my chores, Emmett surprised me by sitting on the ground nearby, and playing with Anthony. I thought it was sweet for a few minutes, but the longer he sat there and played, the more suspicious I became.

"Em, don't you have a ton to do?" I asked him knowing just how hard he usually worked during the day.

"Yeah well, other people are handling my chores today."

"Okay…but why?" I asked.

"Can't I just spend the day with my favorite sister and nephew?" he asked in his best attempt to sound innocent. It didn't work.

"Come on, I want the truth."

He huffed. "Fine, the truth is that Father may have asked me to stay close to you today."

"Why?" I asked, starting to become irritated.

"For protection."

"Protection from what?"

"From anything or anyone who may want to hurt you."

"Okay, can you please just tell me what's going on?"

"I can't. They told me not to tell you."

"Ugh!" I growled out in frustration. If he wasn't going to tell me why I needed protection, then I was going to figure it out myself.

"Wait, where are you going?" Em asked when I took my son and began walking away.

I didn't answer, but as I continued to walk the grounds with him following close behind, I couldn't see anything amiss so I just became increasingly confused. Then, like a bolt of lightning in a dark storm, I saw it…I saw _him_. Edward was down at the stables with the sun brightly illuminating his face, and it actually appeared as though he was working. _Edward was doing chores?_ It was mind boggling.

"Here, hold him for a minute," I said absently as I handed my son to my brother.

"Bella, you can't go down there. He's dangerous!" I heard Em call as I practically raced towards my husband. But I didn't listen, and I refused to stop.

It wasn't until I drew closer that I saw Father and Carlisle standing by watching Edward's every move, and Garrett was actually in the stables with Edward working beside him. It was obvious by his expression that Edward wasn't comfortable being surrounded by his enemies in that way, but he continued to work regardless. I had no idea what convinced him to leave the barn and do something productive with himself, but I was definitely beyond thrilled. It was a step in the right direction, a very good step.

I stood there and watched him for a while, and I kept having flashbacks to the time when we were first getting to know each other. Watching Edward work with the horses was by far the best part of my early time at the palace, and I couldn't help but fall in love with him all over again. He was never more beautiful than when he was covered in dirt and sweat, and I didn't realize how much I missed that version of him until that moment.

"It's good to see the stable boy side of him again, isn't it?" my mother asked as she came to stand beside me. "I had thought that part of him was dead."

Suddenly it became clear. "You did this," I said with certainty. "I don't know how, but you got him to do this."

She shook her head. "No, I merely told him this is what _you _wanted him to do. He wouldn't hear of it until I said how important it was to you."

"I have told him before."

"You told him that you wanted him to get outside and do chores?" she questioned.

"Oh, no, I guess not exactly. I told him I wanted him to try to get along with people here…and I guess when I told him that we were sort of fighting at the time. Ugh, I'm such an idiot."

"No, you're not, you were just scared of disrupting your happy time with him, there's nothing wrong with that."

"But he's been suffering inside that barn, if I would have…"

Mother put her hand on my shoulder to stop my self-loathing rant. "He was in there because he was being stubborn, to no fault of yours. He's out of there now because he knew it was important to _you_."

"There are a lot of things that are important to me that he's refused," I grumbled.

"One hurdle at a time," she reassured me. "This is a good thing. Don't dwell on the bad."

"No, you're right. This is definitely a good thing, but how did you do it? I mean, I understand you just talked to him, but how did you convince Father and Carlisle to even let you in there? I haven't been able to get remotely close to him when they're around during the day."

She waved her hand at me dismissively. "They have to keep you away if they think he's dangerous to you, because you're their daughter and niece, and they feel it's their job to protect you, especially after what happened when you went to the palace, but _nobody_ is going to tell me no. Besides, they don't know him like I do, and I stressed that point. Your father came in with me until he was convinced Edward was calm enough to not be a threat, and then I made him leave so Edward would be more comfortable to talk. He was very combative at first and didn't want me in there, but I basically told him that was enough and eventually he quieted."

"And then everything was fine?" I asked surprised.

"Oh, definitely not. We have a long way to go before things can ever be called 'fine', but he listened to what I had to say about you, and that's what's most important. He still really loves you, that much is obvious."

Edward coincidentally picked that moment to finally notice my presence there, and as our eyes met, he let out a breathtaking smirk and even shrugged his shoulders in the most adorable way. I could do nothing but smile back at him widely. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one to become aware of me there…

"Bella? You were supposed to stay with Emmett!" Charles yelled from the other side of the stables where he was standing. "You shouldn't be here," he said as he quickly began running towards me.

"I'm not a child, I don't need your protection from my own husband," I told my father while ducking under the rail before he could reach me. It may have been a risky move, but ignoring my father's protest, I went right to Edward and wrapped my arms around him tightly, and then held on for dear life. They'd have to physically pry me off of him before I'd let go again.

"Oh, this is helpful," Edward grumbled with slight amusement as we watched my father's face turn several shades of red.

"I'm sorry, were you trying to please him?" I asked mockingly.

"Yeah, you wish," Edward snorted. "He could keel-over for all I care."

"Hey, he's still my father," I chided him.

"And you wish death on my father every day. I'd say we're even," he replied without a trace of humor.

"If you harm her in any way!" my father threatened as he approached us.

"Calm down, Charles," Carlisle surprisingly tried hushing my father. "He's certainly not taking an aggressive stance now."

"We both know the things he said he'd do if he ever saw her again," Father argued.

"I do apologize for that, Mister Swan," Edward said unexpectedly. "That was disgusting and unforgivable, but I assure you, I would never harm her."

"Oh, and I'm supposed to trust you?" Father spat.

"Of course not," Edward replied derisively. "I'd never expect anyone to trust their enemy for no apparent reason other than their word."

"We all know trust takes time," Carlisle interjected.

"Well until that time, this is certainly not happening," Father stated firmly.

I had no idea how Edward would respond to my father's obstinacy, but when he tightened his grip on my waist, I couldn't help but smile to myself. I hated conflict, I really did, but it felt amazing knowing that Edward would always fight for me, no matter what.

"With all due respect, sir, I really don't care if you trust me or not," Edward told him assertively. "Bella is my wife, which makes her mine, not yours."

"Technically she was married under a false name, therefore she's not even really your wife," Charles snapped at him.

Thankfully, Edward kept his composure. "I am well aware of the conflict in her name, however I am certain that God knew exactly who I was marrying, therefore nothing else matters."

Father's face fell from that one, and while he tried to come up with a rebuttal, Edward put his hand up to stop him.

"Mister Swan, for my entire life I've had all of my choices made for me. Even when I was nothing more than the king's spare, I still had my life planned out by others. Bella is the only choice I've ever insisted on, and I am not giving that up for anyone – not the king, and certainly not for you. I have fought for her from the beginning, and I will continue to do so for the rest of my days."

"This is not the life she wanted…"

"I am also aware of that," Edward interrupted him again. "And I know what's really going on here, but quite honestly, I don't care. I don't care about any of it. This is the only thing I've ever wanted for myself, and I'm not letting anyone else's feelings override mine on the matter. You can take my son and raise him to hate me, but you'll never keep Bella from me. I really don't know how I can make myself more clear."

I had no idea what he meant when he spoke of what was really going on, but I decided to let that one go for the time being; it seemed pretty insignificant compared to everything else being said.

"Papa, I'm not staying away from him," I told Charles confidently. "Whether you agree with it or not, he's my husband, and my place is with him."

Charles stared at me for a moment, and then he glanced at my mother, then at Carlisle, and finally back at me before letting out a deep heavy sigh. "Well it seems I'm outnumbered. But since you're insisting on this, I'm going to make one demand myself… my daughter is _not_ going to sleep in that barn. If you want to be together, then it's time to move back into the house. Now, I don't think that's unreasonable, especially considering the change in weather."

Edward gritted his teeth, but thankfully agreed. "Fine."

"Fine," Father repeated.

I didn't understand Edward's disdain for the house, but he did agree on the move so it was another positive step in the right direction. When I woke up that morning, I couldn't have imagined Edward stepping out into the sun and actually doing chores, and having him agree on moving out of the barn was nothing short of a miracle in my mind. Things were still far from perfect, but I'd take whatever progress he was willing to give.

My next obstacle – getting my father and uncle to agree on letting Edward see Anthony again. Whether Edward returned to the crown, or stayed on that farm under their harsh scrutiny indefinitely, he deserved to be with our son, and our son deserved his father. We would be a family again, even if it was the last thing I did…


End file.
